The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Call for Vascular labs in Cork hospitals
KERRY TD Michael Healy-Rae has raised concerns over the lack of non-invasive Vascular labs Units at two Cork hospitals.
There are currently 10 Vascular Surgery centres in Ireland, eight of which have non-invasive labs which provide tests for patients attending out-patient clinics.
The only two Vascular centres without non-invasive labs are those at Cork University Hospital and Cork’s Mercy University Hospital.
Deputy Healy-Rae said the lack of the non-invasive labs in Cork is placing an unnecessary burden on patients travelling to Cork from Kerry for treatment.
“These non-invasive labs provide vital tests for patients coming to out-patient clinics – when they turn up they see a doctor, have their test, go back to the doctor for the result and the outcome/stroke plan is given to them. Then they go home, that is one visit,” said Deputy Healy-Rae.
“In Cork, patients come to the clinic to see a doctor, then they go home but have a test booked in the X-Ray department at a future date, they then have a second visit for the test itself, finally, a third visit for the result and a plan,” he said.
“In hospitals with a non-invasive lab they have one visit, in the Cork hospitals the patients have to come three times. Think about the enormous difficulty this presents to people from areas such Cahersiveen, or Valentia Island and other outlying areas in comparison to, perhaps, people from Bishopstown or Ballincollig which is only a few kilometres out the road,” said Deputy Healy-Rae.
“We desperately need non invasive laboratories in both CUH and the Mercy Hospital in Cork, it is been talked about for years, there has been multiple plans and commitments by management to resolve it, but never translated into action and I am strongly advocating for funding to be put in place to provide this much needed service,” he added.
Earlier this year Dr Ronan Margey, Consultant Cardiologist at the Mater Private in Cork, told a conference in Killarney that Cardiovascular Disease remains the number one cause of death in Kerry with its incidence continuing to grow as the population ages.