Fix cardiac care

AS A doctor, Leo Varadkar of all people must know the importance of immediate access to care in the event of a cardiac arrest. The first 90 minutes are critical in such cases, and getting the patient to hospital as quickly as possible is often the difference between life and death.

In the tragic case of Co. Waterford farmer Tom Power, the weekend closure of the cardiac unit at Waterford Regional Hospital denied him the rapid response that might have saved his life (he only needed a stent) and now his family is left needlessly bereaved.

The Southeast and Northwest, centred on Waterford and Sligo, have been deemed blackspots in cardiac-care coverage, and this must change. We understand why centres of excellence have been created for cancer patients, even if it means some have to make long journeys for treatment. Their conditions are life-threatening, but not imminently so.

Patients suffering heart attacks are completely different. It seems ludicrous that a few million euro could give Waterford and its catchment area 24-hour care and this money has not been spent.

The people living in these areas are just as entitled to a fighting chance at life as those in other parts of the country. The socalled golden hour is not negotiable; that is the amount of time available to save a life. What should be equally non-negotiable is commiting resources needed to ensure nobody one else dies for no good reason.