Euromedic’s new MRI scanner will save lives and €1m

DIAGNOSTIC healthcare firm Euromedic Ireland says its new MRI scanner could save the taxpayer €1m in Munster if the Government engages with the private sector to reduce waiting times.

Euromedic CEO Colm Davitt says the new scanner could save the Health Service Executive (HSE) up to €100 per scan versus the current average cost of €250. Based on a 30-40% reduction, it adds up to a conservative €1m cost saving in Munster. “We are trying to put a proposal to the new government,” said Colm Davitt. “We hope to get some face time with them, soon, to explain the cost-saving and the projected reduction in waiting times.

“MRI scanning in a hospital environment is a very expensive business, costing about €250 per examination. Our new scanner will be operational by mid-June, and is capable of doing 30 scans per day.

“Irish hospitals are characterised by high costs and long waiting times, which is hard to accept for people in urgent need of scanning. The Euromedic model of private health contracts, agreements with insurance companies and ‘self-pay on the day’ services is already working well elsewhere internationally. Waiting times here are far higher than in our experience in other countries.”

Euromedic offers private diagnostic services in countries like Portugal, Switzerland, Greece and Italy. It offers same-day scanning services in Poland, Romania, Russia, Bosnia and Croatia. Average public sector waits in Munster vary from 80 days to six months. Estimates vary considerably from county to county.

Admittedly, Mercy University Hospital’s two new CT scanners should speed up cancer diagnosis in Munster. One is a 64-slice scanner, the other a 16-slice, brought in to replace the old four-slice model.

That said, Euromedic has identified a real gap in Munster’s scanning services. The expansion at the company’s base in the Elysian, Cork, will facilitate the growth of the company’s MRI department and the opening of a specialised cardiac MRI service at the clinic.

The investment is part of the company’s plan to increase access to diagnostic imaging services throughout Ireland in the coming months. More than 100 people are employed by Euromedic Ireland, including medical and administration staff. The expansion of its centre in Cork puts Euromedic’s investment in the region at €6m and €45m in the country.

Davitt said: “Euromedic has expanded its services rapidly since it entered the Irish market in 2007. We estimate that there are over 10,000 people waiting for routine diagnostic scans throughout the country and our aim is provide fast access to these people by providing diagnostic services to communities nationwide. Waiting times for an MRI scan in Cork is typically five months, which is quite long.”

The MRI suite in Euromedic Cork will house a Siemens MAGNETOM Essenza, in addition to the Siemens MAGNETOM Espree open-bore MRI system already in operation at the state-of-the-art centre.

Siemens Healthcare sales manager Denis O’Faherty said: “The Essenza is ideal for general imaging needs. Its advanced technology eliminates the need for patient repositioning, resulting in faster scans. This will allow Euromedic to provide a faster, more effective service and offer more specialised imaging, such as cardiac scans, on the Espree system already in place.”

Both MRI scanners provide detailed analysis of the brain, spine, joints, abdomen and heart. Unique in Cork, the Espree MRI combines a larger bore or opening for larger or claustrophobic patients with the ability to capture high-field quality diagnostic images.