There are currently 15,768 persons on the waiting list for an MRI at Mater Dei Hospital, according to information tabled in Parliament on Monday.

The number was supplied by new Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela, in reply to a parliamentary question made by PN MP Jerome Caruana Cilia on how many individuals are waiting for an MRI.

Abela said that through information collected from the Medical Imaging Department at Mater Dei Hospital, there are 15,768 persons waiting for an MRI.

He added that when he was solely Minister for Active Ageing, the process started for the purchase of an MRI for St Vincent de Paule, to be able to cater for the resident's needs without them having to go to Mater Dei and would also serve other persons who need it.