Responding to an article that purportedly and mischievously originated from the St. Kitts-Nevis Opposition Labour Party titled “St. Kitts-Nevis Health Minister Confirms Monkey and human being use same MRI machine at Research Foundation” dated March 12, 2019, Dr. Redmond in a statement said “Most research facilities and medical schools in the United States allow magnetic resonance imaging of both humans and animals on the same equipment using strict protocols for cleaning and sterilizing all exposed surfaces between such uses just as operating rooms are thoroughly cleaned and resterilized between uses.”
Dr. Redman added further: “The machine at St. Kitts Biomedical MRI (SKBMRI) was designed for human use and the protocol for transitioning from monkeys or humans matches the requirements at Yale University and other medical schools in the U.S. where this is done on a regular basis. The patient reception area and the machine are isolated from the main portion of the research facility. Dual use for research makes the equipment available for human clinical use and reduces the high cost of magnetic resonance imaging for patients by 50% or more while maintaining the highest quality scanning and patient service.”
Dr. Terrance Drew, St. Kitts-Nevis Opposition Labour Party candidate, who has been most critical of the services offered at the SKBMRI, is reportedly the doctor who recommends the most patients in St. Kitts to use the scanning machine, a testament to its high operating standards and best practices.
Attesting to the high quality of the service offered at the research foundation with respect to MRI, Minister of Health, the Honourable Eugene Hamilton, said that patients from 16 countries around the world use the facility because of the superior service. Additionally, he said this has been good for Health Tourism.
He said that people no longer must travel to neighbouring Antigua for MRI services when it can be done in St. Kitts, not only making it cheaper but that the machine at research foundation is of a far greater quality.
“The importance of having that facility here prevents us from having to buy tickets to go to Antigua, pay for hotel accommodation, get an MRI scan and have to stay there a couple of days feeding yourself, which of course could be escalating in its cost,” Minister Hamilton said.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the and the physiological processes of the body in both health and disease. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves to generate images of the organs in the body.
