ASABA/Nigeria: The management of Asaba Specialist Hospital has received commendation for its initiative to provide free Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans to patients, with stakeholders describing the intervention as a welcome step towards improving access to specialised healthcare in Delta State.
The exercise, coordinated under the leadership of the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Dr. Peace Ighosewe, is aimed at helping patients access advanced diagnostic services while reducing the financial burden associated with MRI examinations.
The initiative followed the introduction of MRI services at the hospital, which recently took delivery of a Siemens 1.5 Tesla helium-free MRI system. Reports on the development indicated that the hospital conducted a two-day free MRI exercise during the commencement of the service, benefiting more than 10 patients.
A Consultant Neurologist, Dr. Yusuf Yakub, described the intervention as timely, noting that access to MRI examinations could assist doctors in identifying critical medical conditions and making appropriate treatment decisions.
He said initiatives that improve access to advanced diagnostic investigations were particularly important for patients who might find the cost of such services difficult to afford.
The intervention has also attracted positive reactions from beneficiaries, who expressed appreciation to the Delta State Government and the hospital management for providing an opportunity for patients to undergo the specialised investigation at no cost during the exercise.
For many families, stakeholders said, the intervention offered temporary relief from the financial pressure associated with medical diagnosis at a time when the cost of healthcare remains a major concern.
They, however, called on the hospital management to strengthen its publicity and public engagement efforts so that more residents would be aware of the services and programmes available at the facility.
According to them, greater use of television, radio, newspapers, online news platforms and social media would help close the information gap and ensure that eligible residents are not excluded from beneficial healthcare interventions simply because they are unaware of them.
The stakeholders stressed that investment in medical equipment would have greater impact when members of the public were adequately informed about the services available and how they could access them.
They further urged the hospital to maintain regular communication with the public on its specialised services, health programmes and other interventions, describing effective publicity as an important component of healthcare delivery.
The MRI service is expected to strengthen the diagnostic capacity of Asaba Specialist Hospital and provide residents with greater access to specialised imaging services within the state.
The development also forms part of the broader efforts to improve healthcare delivery in Delta State, with the hospital positioning its expanded diagnostic capacity as a means of bringing more specialised medical services closer to residents.
