The mobile MRI unit that spent more than a year serving patients in Thompson has now moved to The Pas, marking the first rotation in the service’s ongoing journey across northern Manitoba.
The unit began taking patients at St. Anthony’s General Hospital in The Pas on August 24, 2026, after arriving on August 11. It had been stationed at Thompson General Hospital since June 6, 2025, completing more than 3,000 diagnostic scans for residents across the north.
People from Thompson, Flin Flon, The Pas, Split Lake, Cross Lake, and Gillam have all used the mobile unit, avoiding long trips to Winnipeg or Brandon for MRI scans. The unit is the only MRI scanner in northern Manitoba, and the province’s only mobile MRI service.
The mobile MRI will now travel between Thompson and The Pas, which are about 400 kilometres apart, on a recurring rotation. Shared Health Diagnostic Services operates the unit, which has produced some of the shortest MRI wait times in the province at seven weeks compared to the Manitoba median of 26 weeks.
The unit’s move comes after nearly 15 months in Thompson, a delay caused by procurement and staffing challenges. Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara has said the government’s first request for proposals received only one bid, which was over budget, requiring a second process.
Thompson MLA Eric Redhead championed the mobile MRI as an election promise and delivered the unit to Thompson in 2025. The $3 million investment in the mobile MRI was part of Budget 2025.
The arrival in The Pas is particularly timely because MRI services at Dauphin Regional Health Centre have been unavailable since flooding in July, making the mobile unit even more critical for northern patients seeking diagnostic imaging.
