The Yukon Hospital Foundation expects to reach its $2-million Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fund-raising goal by the end of the month.

Combined with the $2 million in government funds presented during the weekend's Alkan Air Grand Ball by Premier Darrell Pasloski, the foundation has enough to move ahead with the purchase, president Krista Prochazka said in an interview today.

The government committed to match the foundation's $2 million two years ago when the fund-raising campaign launched.

Prochazka said hospital staff attended an MRI trade show last week and have made recommendations regarding which machine to purchase.

"There's over 500 Yukoners going south a year to get an MRI and for non-critical MRIs, they're waiting an average of six months, so having one in the territory will reduce that to just a few weeks,” she said.

"It will eliminate the burden of having to go away from family and work for several days for a 15-minute test.”

The MRI will also benefit the territory in terms of staff recruitment, Prochazka said.

Medical staff do look at what equipment and services a hospital can offer when choosing where to practice, she noted.

Donations are still coming in for the machine, including from Yukon College's Movember funds.

The college raised more than $2,000 during Movember, most of which will be donated to the MRI fund.

Funds from Northwestel Inc.'s Festival of Trees fund-raiser, on now at the government's main administrative building, will also be directed to the purchase and implementation of an MRI program.

"It's extraordinary how Yukoners have come together to make this happen,” Prochazka said.

Pasloski briefed the legislature on the campaign this afternoon, thanking the foundation's fund-raising efforts and praising the fact it took just two years of the planned four-year campaign to reach the objective.