Saskatchewan achieved its highest-ever volume of diagnostic medical imaging procedures in 2024-25, performing more than 250,000 CT and MRI scans across the province, according to the government media release.
A total of 187,163 computed tomography (CT) exams and 63,299 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams were completed, marking a nine per cent increase — or 20,000 additional exams — compared to the previous year. These scans served more than 206,000 patients.
“Saskatchewan’s steady investment in enhancing this critical service area is resulting in positive outcomes for patient care, with the highest-ever volumes of MRIs and CT scans performed and faster access to these important diagnostic tests,” Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said. “Investing in additional imaging capacity and capital equipment has increased access and reduced wait times for these procedures.”
The Canadian Institute for Health Information reports Saskatchewan currently has the lowest 90th percentile wait time for CT scans and the third-lowest for MRIs in the country.
Since 2016, the province has expanded imaging services across urban and rural locations, including new CT services in Estevan and Melfort, MRI services in Moose Jaw, and community-based imaging centres in Regina and Saskatoon. These expansions have provided tens of thousands of scans to Saskatchewan patients.
In 2024, the province added a mobile MRI scanner at Regina General Hospital and continued supporting the Swoop Portable MRI unit at Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon.
“Passing legislation for private-pay MRI and CT services has contributed to health system capacity,” Cockrill said. “This unique-to-Saskatchewan, two-for-one policy approach requires private providers to perform a second scan at no charge for a patient on the public waitlist. This policy has provided more than 20,900 additional MRI scans and over 1,700 additional CT scans to patients at no extra cost to the public system due to this innovative two-for-one provision.”
A $6-million investment in the 2025-26 budget is expected to support more than 10,000 additional diagnostic imaging procedures.
“As we enhance the investment in medical imaging services, the Saskatchewan Health Authority remains focused on providing timely access to high quality care as close to home as possible for people across Saskatchewan,” said Richard Dagenais, executive director of medical imaging.
He credited the success to strong partnerships and “the exceptional commitment of our team of technologists, nurses, radiologists, and others, who work tirelessly every day to provide high-quality care to patients across the province.”
The province is also allocating over $10 million in capital funding to replace and retrofit aging equipment. Planned upgrades include an MRI and CT scanner replacement at Regina General Hospital, as well as improvements at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon and several rural health sites.
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