Hospital Regional de Dourados adds MRI scanner and joins state telehealth network

The Hospital Regional de Dourados (HRD) in Mato Grosso do Sul has opened the first public magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner in the region. The equipment began operating on 27 April, offering roughly 500 examinations per month for a catch‑area of 34 municipalities in the Cone Sul. Patients such as Adelina Sales, who waited four years for a scan, and Luciene de Medeiros, who waited over two years, now receive faster diagnoses, cutting travel to distant centers. The MRI installation was funded with a R$ 7.5 million investment from the state health secretariat, expanding the public health system’s diagnostic capacity.

In parallel, HRD has been integrated into the State of Mato Grosso do Sul’s Telessaúde network, becoming a reference hub for tele‑consultations and specialist support for the same 34 municipalities. The statewide digital health program has grown 516 % from 21,709 tele‑appointments in 2022 to 112,058 in 2025, with 39,598 contacts recorded in the first four months of 2026. The integration supports the “Agora Tem Especialistas” program’s Integrated Care Offers, aiming to regionalize and improve specialist access within the SUS.

Together, the new MRI service and the telehealth link aim to reduce patient travel, shorten diagnostic delays, and strengthen regional health care delivery in Brazil’s interior.