The installation of the new scanner is designed to shorten waiting times for MRI appointments. Schneider stressed his desire for Luxembourgish patients to not have to wait longer than patients in neighbouring countries. He added that it is not normal for patients in a country as wealthy as Luxembourg to have to travel across borders to get an MRI scan in an ordinary time period.
To that end, the Ministry of Health has purchased four new MRI scanners: the Kirchberg one is already in use, as is the CHL one now. The Esch-sur-Alzette scanner was delivered last week and the scanner designed for the North is en route.
For non-urgent appointments, patients will have to wait for three weeks between scheduling the appointment and having the scan. However, the waiting periods will not immediately be reduced as, according to CHL director Dr Romain Nati, the hospital must also recruit doctors trained to work with the devices.
The new scanner is based in a container directly linked to the CHL building. The container was fitted in the Netherlands and delivered to Luxembourg by two trucks before being installed by a crane. The cost of the operation was estimated at €1.5 million.
