The provincial government is reassuring Dauphin residents that the planned MRI Machine is on track.
Over the weekend NDP Leader Wab Kinew spoke with CKDM about a number of issues his party was worried about relating to the budget of the MRI.
Local MLA Brad Michaleski responds to those comments.
“Those kinds of comments made by the official opposition leader Wab Kinew, they are just wild and speculative. They serve no purpose other than his own. They are actually very, very irresponsible for him to make those comments when there’s just no truth to them at all.”
He continues, “We know this MRI is important to this region and to the Parkland region. The previous government had nearly 20 years to bring an MRI here and they did not do it and now for them to act concerned it just shows a level of disrespect for the people in this region. I just feel that Mr. Kinew’s comments were very irresponsible and we’re right on track and looking forward to bringing the MRI to Dauphin.”
Michaleski says the project is funded and the health region is currently recruiting individuals to work on Dauphin’s MRI once it’s installed and operational.
“I know there were comments made regarding staff. I know that’s not correct either. There’s recruiting going on. So that again is just miss-information spread by Mr. Kinew.”
Michaleski also says the October deadline is on schedule.
“It’s still on track. There was comment made about funding, that’s all in place. We’re totally on track for the opening of it. Just like we’ve been saying all along we’ve been very clear that the MRI was put on hold because of reckless spending and debt growth by the NDP. We needed to put a hold on things and after that, we announced that we are moving ahead with the MRI. I was very pleased with that and just recently there was an announcement of around October and we’re on track with that as well.”
Kinew has suggested that there is no clear budget for the MRI machine and that recruitment was not going on.
In response to Mr. Michaleski’s comments NDP Health Critic, Andrew Swan released this statement.
“Mr. Michaleski’s comments are a desperate attempt to distract from the fact his government has refused to install an MRI in Dauphin for more than two years. The NDP’s concerns are valid – they are based on government documents acquired through Freedom of Information requests. It’s time the people of Dauphin heard the facts”.
Some of the facts the NDP present include documents from the Department of Health show as of July 19 of this year “the [operating] budget is under review and has not been finalized and provided to Prairie Mountain Health,” and a government briefing note from December of last year states “No current funding source exists…Prairie Mountain Health advised the department that neither Diagnostic Services Manitoba nor Prairie Mountain Health could absorb the significant operating costs associated with this project without additional funding.”
