New Zealand invests $61.8m to boost diagnostic capacity

31 replacement and seven new scanners will be installed across 14 hospitals.

New Zealand is investing $61.8m (NZ$108m) to deliver 32 new and replacement CT, MRI, and SPECT scanners across the country.

The three-year investment covers 31 replacement scanners—renewing about 29 per cent of the national fleet—and seven new machines to be installed across 14 hospitals.

“The new scanners are expected to enable around 32,000 additional CT scans and 6,800 additional MRI scans each year once fully operational,” Health Minister Simeon Brown said.

The upgrade is in addition to the three CT and three MRI scanners already funded through hospital redevelopment projects, bringing the total to 38 scanners.

“Three of the new CT scanners will be photon-counting models, including one announced today at Kenepuru Hospital,” Brown added.