Leo was kicking cardio cath lab down the road
The Council are writing to Health Minister Simon Harris about providing a Cardiac Cath Lab at Sligo University Hospital.
It’s on foot of a motion by Cllr Rosaleen O’Grady who called on the Government to provide the funding for a Cath Lab here.
“The provision of this service would help cardiac care. The mobile cath lab functions purely as diagnostic,” she said.
“A Cath Lab is regarded as the treatment of choice for cardiac services within two hours,” she said.
“In May 2015 we read in The Sligo Champion that the cath lab future was top of the agenda of Saolta (the hospital group which includes Sligo).
“On my way to the Budget meeting, I heard Leo Varadkar again kicking the can down the road. It makes you wonder... what’s wrong with Sligo? I’m asking all my colleagues to keep this on the agenda. A cardio cath lab is a basic requirement,” she said.
She was supported by Cllr Keith Henry who said it was in Cllr O’Grady’s opening address as Chair of the Public Health Forum of the HSE West. Cllr Seamus Kilgannon said the cath lab was one of the services people were looking for and had paid for it with their taxes.
Cllr Michael Clarke said Cllr O’Grady could see “what is not happening” and said he thought the Council would “get an announcement soon on the new beds in the new wing of the hospital.
“That’s not far away,” he said. “Frontline staff are up for the challenge. Sligo should definitely be targeted as the number 1 hospital in the North West,” he added.
Cllr Margaret Gormley paid tribute to Cllr O’Grady for continuing to highlight this issue for Sligo.
“She has it to the fore and will see it through to the end.
“Leo Varadkar was very vague in what he said. He was kicking the can down the road.”