Resume full health-care
FIANNA Fáil TD Norma Foley says that normal health-care services must be resumed as soon as possible as thousands of patients await vital consultations and treatments cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“At the beginning of this pandemic our hospital network was rightly prepared for a major surge in COVID-19 cases. Procedures were cancelled, diagnostics postponed, and people urged to stay away unless absolutely necessary,” she said.
“Thankfully our hospitals were not overwhelmed and now is the time to get them operational again. Everyday healthcare needs have not gone away just because there is a pandemic. The longer a patient is left waiting for an essential procedure, the higher the possibility that their prognosis could deteriorate. That’s before even considering that they may be in unnecessary pain or discomfort.”
She is calling for the cancellation of the contract between the HSE and private hospitals She said there has been a 76.1% jump in the number of people waiting for appointments at University Hospital Kerry since the pandemic began and that now it time to get back to full health- care.
NOEL Heaslip was extremely lucky that his cancer was discovered at an early stage. It was by chance that the discovery of bladder cancer was made when he ended up in hospital with a suspected heart-attack. Now, the Tralee man fears that his luck could run out as his three-monthly check-up has been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fears are mounting about undetected cancers due to appointments and scans being cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the UK alone it is suspected that up to 18,000 cancer patients could die due to a suspension of services due to Covid-19 - more than 6,000 newly diagnosed.
Noel (60) lives in Abbeydorney, but grew up in Tralee. He is a well-known face to many in his role as Traffic Warden on the streets of Tralee. But behind his facade Noel is extremely worried about cancer given that he can no longer be monitored as the pandemic continues.
“I had an operation to remove the cancer and it was all looking good. In the mean-time I am supposed to have three-month check-ups but all appointments have been stopped,” says Noel.
Noel’s last appointment was in February, before the pandemic broke-out. He was due for another one in May but now it may be August before he gets to see his consultant again - which is a six-month delay.
“It is very worrying. I am caught in limbo now. They took the cancer away which is good news but I am worrying what if it comes back? The longer this goes on the more the cancer could come back,” he said.
Noel and hundreds of other patients across the country are facing the same daily worry and concern. The Irish Cancer Society has urged the Government to re-open cancer services.
CEO Avril Power said it is “crucial that Covid-19 does not negatively impact cancer outcomes now and into the future.”
“The health service must be restarted and reorganised as we move into the next phases of this pandemic, and as we do this it is absolutely vital that cancer services are prioritised. Unless normal patterns of cancer diagnosis and treatment return soon there is a serious risk that delayed diagnoses and treatment backlogs will lead to a second wave of Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland,” she said.
“I am pretty worried. It is a big problem ... I don’t want the cancer to come back and what if its too late by the time they find it if it does come back.”
Even worrying is last time Noel has no symptoms of cancer. He was undergoing tests at University Hospital Kerry following a suspected heart-attack which in fact turned out to be a false alarm. However, the tests showed something in his bladder and having consulted with his GP he was transferred to the Bons Secours in Tralee. There he was diagnosed with cancer of the bladder and underwent the operation in May of last year. He has nothing but praise for this treatment at the hospital and the care he has received to date.
“Since the operation Noel has relgiously attended this three month appointments and to date everything has been clear and he is hopeful that this will continue but he must be monitored to ensure it does not return.
“They told me it was like seaweed. I had no symptoms what if I don’t have symptoms again? That is why I am worrying. There are hundreds like me. Three months is a long time when you have something like this.”
He says he understands why the decision was taken to cancel appointments during the pandemic but he feels it is now time to return to some normality and ensure that all those who need medical support apart from Covid-19 receive this.
“I have been told that it could be August before I get an appointment which is six months from my last one. I can’t do an online consultation in this case,” he said.