The Department of Health (DOH) has inaugurated on Tuesday, 4 February, the first helium-free machine in Northern Luzon.

The newly-installed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine at the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center (ITRMC) was purchased through the hospital’s income which cost about P110 million.

According to ITRMC chief Dr. Eduardo Badua III, the brand new 1.5T MRI is the first helium-free scanner to be installed in a government health facility in the country.

Badua said the state-of-the-art machine would further boost the health facility’s medical care services.

The MRI system is powered by Philips exclusive BlueSeal magnet for helium-free operations and it incorporates artificial intelligence (AI)-driven technologies to simplify and automate the most complex clinical and operational tasks.

According to the DOH, it can generate clearer images and provide evidence for diagnosis and prognosis.

"Its AI-based SmartSpeed image reconstruction technology delivers exceptional image quality to save time and improve outcomes with higher resolution and faster scanning," the DOH noted.

Meanwhile, DOH-Ilocos Regional Director Paula Paz Sydiongco assured that health facilities in the region will also be undergoing improvements including the construction of super health centers, BUCAS Centers, and installation of new equipment in various hospitals of the region including Barangay Health Station packages in rural health units.