Tragedies show urgent need for cardiac review

THE lack of proper cardiac services for some 500,000 people in the south-east has long been highlighted by campaigners.

In the last two days, two deeply distressing stories endorse their argument in the most poignant of ways. Yesterday, the widow of a young farmer who died from complications after “a silent heart attack” while being transferred between Waterford and Cork hospitals appealed to Health Minister Simon Harris to review cardiac services in the region. Bernadette Power was speaking at Cork Coroner’s Court where a jury heard that the death of her husband, Thomas (40), was due to a side effect from a heart attack.

The jury also recommended that Mr Harris reviews resuscitation drug packs provided in ambulances for transfers between hospitals. Apparently the ambulance transferring Mr Power ran out of special adrenalin doses during the trip from Waterford to Cork.

Ms Power had only been married to Thomas for nine months – and had been pregnant with their first child – when he died on June 18, 2017. Her appeal to the Government to provide a second permanent cath lab at University Hospital Waterford on a 24/7 basis seems reasonable.

The other case involves a Waterford woman who suffered three heart attacks and had to wait 19 hours for an emergency operation. Una McDermott died after an unsuccessful attempt to airlift her to Cork. Surely the case for the rollout of 24/7 cardiac services nationally is now overwhelming?