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A Fort Erie man says he is being forced to wait over 5 months for an Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan on his brain.

His doctor discovered lesions on his brain which could be connected to multiple sclerosis. Unfortunately, he isn’t the only one waiting around.

Niagara residents are waiting 3 times longer to get a scan than patients in Hamilton.

154 days that’s how long Richard Bisson will have to wait for his next MRI scan.

After learning that his brother had multiple sclerosis, Bisson underwent tests as a precaution.  An MRIi in 2014 showed 6 lesions on his brain.

This will be his 3rd MRI but Bissons says he’s never had to wait this long.

MPP Wayne Gates says a number of residents have called his office in the past few days about the same issue.  “What was really concerning to me is that in Hamilton at St. Joes. you get an MRI it is 32 days. To get the same MRI in St.Catharines with a brand new hospital behind us is 105 days.” says Gates

Patients in Niagara have to wait longer than most people in the Province.  The Provincial wait time is 102 days.

Dr. Julian Dobranowski from the Niagara Health System says “It doesn’t mean that every patient is waiting for an MRI waits a 105 days, it means 90% of the patients have their scan done within a 105 days.  Dr. Julian Dobranowski is Niagara Health’s Chief of Diagnostic Imaging. He’s also the provincial lead for patients waiting for MRI’s

He says in an ideal world 105 days is too long of a wait but isn’t sure why wait times are so different between Hamilton and Niagara, like most hospitals, has a priority wait list, but if a patient’s condition worsens they will be seen faster.

The hospital says it is working on reducing MRI wait times as well making sure people who are getting scanned actually need them.

That leaves Richard Bisson wondering where he stands as he continues his 154 day wait..