Veterinary hospital restores MRI services months after explosion destroys new facility

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) — Months after a major explosion destroyed a newly built facility, a Wilmington veterinary hospital has restored a key piece of equipment and resumed advanced diagnostic services.

Eastern Carolina Veterinary Medical Center announced the return of its MRI machine, which survived the explosion at its New Centre Drive location in August.

The machine was transported to Charlotte for repairs the day after the blast. It is now back in Wilmington and operating inside a trailer outside the hospital’s former facility on Greenville Road.

Hospital officials say the unit is the first MRI available for pets in Wilmington.

Administrator Gary Walker said the return of the machine marks an important step forward for the medical center following the loss of its new building.

“Previous to this if you ever needed a brain scan or a spine scan, you’d have to go to Raleigh and travel for two hours, now you can get that gold standard care here in the community,” Walker said.

The hospital’s new facility on New Centre Drive has since been completely demolished. Walker said the organization has hired an architect to redesign the building and plans to move forward with reconstruction.