As concerns continue to arise from various sources petitioning for the inclusion of an MRI unit in the new Portage District General Hospital, the council and Reeve of the RM of St. François Xavier have added their voices.
Reeve Delmer Nott expresses his surprise that the MRI plan isn't a done deal.
"It's nice and close, it's local, and it's people dealing with people. I cannot honestly believe we would be building a state-of-the-art hospital to take us into the future and not outfit it with an MRI. It actually makes very little sense to me. I'm just a reeve, but overall, the healthcare services in this area need that MRI. We need it. We need it for St. François as well."
Councillor Marcel Houde emphasizes that the Portage hospital serves more than just Portage.
"Portage hospital is not just a hospital for Portage. The residents of St. François Xavier, especially since the west end touches the Portage municipality—right down to Poplar Point—a large number of our constituents use Portage hospital. Having access to services like MRIs is huge for the quality of care offered to our residents."
He adds that their council supports any advancement the Portage hospital can get, as it serves not only Portage, but all the surrounding municipalities, including their own.