Over 5,000 people are on the waiting list for MRI and CT scans, with the wait so long that non-urgent cases are being given appointments as far away as January 2016.

There are 3,805 pending MRI scans and almost 1,300 CT scans.

In an attempt to address the lengthy waiting time, the Health Ministry last month introduced “twilight” MRI scans in the early hours of the morning and encouraged Maltese to travel to Gozo for a CT scan as there is almost no waiting time there.

Urgent scans are carried out immediately.

No MRIs were transferred to private hospitals last year as the funds allocated had all been used up

A total of 139,500 scans were carried out last year at Mater Dei Hospital, 400 more than in 2012. Twilight medical imaging sessions cut the waiting list by 800 people.

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