Fairfield councillor asked to apologise amid calls for Fairfield to be granted a full MRI licence

A Labor councillor has been asked to apologise and “admit he was wrong” following a heated discussion calling for bulk-billed MRI scans in southwest Sydney.

Fairfield mayor Frank Carbone has sparked calls to bulk-bill MRI scans in Fairfield.

A Labor councillor has been asked to apologise and “admit that he was wrong”, following a heated discussion calling for bulk-billed MRI scans in southwest Sydney.

Independent Fairfield councillor Michael Mijatovic called on Labour councillor Kien Ly to apologise at last week’s council meeting after he abstained from voting on a mayoral minute about the lack of MRI machines and bulk-billed scans in February.

Fairfield mayor Frank Carbone called for a review into the current MRI licensing system during his mayoral minute at the February council meeting after Fairfield was denied a full licence by the federal government to offer a Medicare rebate to patients.

Fairfield independent councillor Michael Mijatovic. Picture: Facebook.

This means residents have to pay the full MRI fee, ranging from $100 to $500 at Fairfield’s two MRI units – Lumus Imaging in Fairfield and Superscan in Fairfield Heights – which were granted partial Medicare eligibility.

Mr Carbone said Fairfield was “once again forgotten” and deserves better access to “proper, adequate diagnostic services in our community”.

During questions to the mayor at the March council meeting, Mr Mijatovic asked whether councillor Ly would “admit he was wrong that Fairfield does not have a full MRI licence”.

“And if he doesn’t want to apologise, can he please explain why this council should have any confidence that he serves his community?,” Mr Mijatovic said.

Cr Kien Ly was asked to apologise following a heated discussion calling for bulk-billed MRI scans in southwest Sydney.

Mr Ly said: “I don’t think I need to answer that.”

Mr Ly told this publication he supported Fairfield being granted a full MRI licence and used his vote “diligently, without fear of bully, any form of harassment and threats”.

He did not wish to make a comment on Clr Mijatovic’s questions rasied in the meeting.

This comes after Mr Ly abstained from voting during the February meeting as he was “not briefed by council staff” on whether Fairfield had a MRI licence and “the role of council on this licence matter”.

“As a councillor I think that’s not our role … to be asking for this type of thing, it is a state and federal matter in my opinion,” he said at the February meeting.

Mayor Frank Carbone told Mr Ly that asking “this council to stay silent on a matter” meant “no one brings it up unless we bring it up.”

“You’re saying to leave it to the state, the state doesn’t care they don’t bring anything up, they don’t raise anything up,” Mr Carbone said.

“There’s not even an MRI machine in Fairfield hospital which is a disgrace.”

Fairfield council have ignited calls for a review into the MRI licensing system.

“The hospital funding that we got was $330m, we only got that hospital funding [to upgrade Fairfield hospital] because of this council.”

While MRI licences are granted by the commonwealth, Mr Carbone said the decision on the location of public diagnostic imaging facilities are made by state and territory governments.

A Department of Health and Aged Care spokeswoman said there are currently no processes open to increase the number of Medicare eligible MRI machines in metropolitan areas.

“Should a future opportunity arise for MRI expansion in metropolitan areas, the Department will engage with the sector,” the spokeswoman said.