The Ogun House of Assembly has recommended the immediate purchase of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines for the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, and state-owned hospital, Ijaye.

The House committee on health made the recommendation on Monday during the appraisal of the half-year budget performance of the Ministry of Health and other agencies in the health sector.

The committee chairman, Wahab Haruna, said that the MRI machines, when purchased, would effectively assist in conducting necessary medical examinations to ease the treatment of patients in the hospitals in the state.

Mr Haruna also said that the ultra-modern equipment would further help to create detailed images of the organs and tissues in patients’ bodies.

He said that the house was ready to support the ministry in achieving a successful implementation of quality healthcare services to the people.

The lawmaker commended the state Hospital Management Board (HMB), the ministry and OOUTH for their improved revenue generation.

Responding on behalf of the agencies, the permanent secretary, HMB, Dr Nike Elemide, said that plans were underway to purchase the machines for the hospitals.

Ms Elemide said that the equipment would greatly improve healthcare delivery in the state.

She further said that it was capable of detecting brain tumours, traumatic brain injury, developmental anomalies, multiple sclerosis, stroke, dementia, infections and the causes of headaches.

The chief medical director of OOUTH, Dr Oluwabunmi Fatungase, said that the machine, which operates 24 hours, was a medical imaging technique that used a magnetic film and computer-generated radio waves in detecting illnesses.

(NAN)