Bermuda could have the latest in medical technology to help save people from early death.

An study into the possibility of bringing a hi-tech MRI scanner to the Island is currently underway, said Senate President Alf Oughton .

He was speaking after Opposition Senate Leader Milton Scott said it was time people demanded that the Island had a $2 million MRI scanner installed at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

An MRI scanner or magnetic resonance imaging is a vital tool which helps in the early detection of disease or abnormalities in organs, the brain or joints.

Sen. Scott said: "We have had far too many close calls this year in relation to life that could have been sustained or saved if we had an MRI facility. I don't think we can wait any longer.'' Sen. Scott was speaking after Senate passed the Hospital Insurance Amendment Act, which transferred costs of diabetic and hospice care from the MRF to the Standard Hospital Benefit plan.

But Government Senate Leader E.T. (Bob) Richards said that although the Island could afford a scanner, it was probably a time to swallow national pride and use the expertise offered abroad.

He questioned whether Bermuda would have the staff with experience to interpret the images that came from MRI, if they were only dealing with a few cases each year, compared to a foreign hospital that may carry out hundreds of scans.

Milton Scott Graphic file name: MILLSCOT