Decision on bio-terrorist unit delayed for two years

THE Government has yet to decide on the location of the country’s first specialist unit for treating victims of a bio-terrorist attack - almost two years after an expert group said such a facility should be established “without delay”.

The Department of Health confirmed yesterday that no final decision on the matter had been taken, although the location of the centre is expected to be announced within weeks.

An expert committee, which was established after the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001 to formulate a co-ordinated, national response to such a terrorist threat, identified the need to designate hospitals to treat the victims of chemical and biological attacks as a top priority.

In December 2002, a sub-committee of the expert group said the identity of a such a medical centre, which could treat the victims of an outbreak such as smallpox, should be made known “without delay”.

It claimed a swift decision was necessary in order to train and vaccinate specialist staff well in advance of any risk of exposure.

The sub-committee also expressed concern about the lack of healthcare resources in many parts of the country in the event of such an attack taking place outside the greater Dublin area. In particular, it criticised the small number of infectious disease consultants in Irish hospitals which includes only one paediatric specialist for the whole country.

Because of the delay in designating such a centre, other recommendations of the expert group are also unlikely to be in place ahead of the third anniversary of the terrorist attack on the US next month. They include the establishment of a 24-hour roster in each health board area for medical staff trained in dealing with highly infectious diseases and other protocols.

A number of Dublin hospitals have been asked by the Department of Health to submit proposals on the establishment of the designated centre. It is estimated that the facility, which would require negative pressure isolation rooms and protective suites, will cost at least €2 million. However, the expert group admits that in the event of a major outbreak of a highly infectious disease, it would not have sufficient accommodation to treat all affected patients. In those circumstances, it is believed people would be advised to stay indoors.

It is understood that St James’ Hospital, the Mater Hospital, and Blanchardstown are the main candidates for the location of a designated centre, although other facilities like Peamount Hospital or Cherry Orchard could be chosen for their isolated location.

The sub-committee initially expressed a preference for Tallaght Hospital, even though one leading consultant said such a recommendation was “perplexing” as the hospital had no specialist team for treating infectious diseases.

A Department of Health spokesperson said the delay in designating a hospital was a result of the expert committee not finalising the criteria for selecting such a facility until late 2003.

Since 2001, the Government has purchased supplies of smallpox vaccines to treat most of the population in the event of a major outbreak of the disease. However, it is estimated mortality rates could still be as high as 25% if the vaccines are only administered after exposure.