After-hours surgery allowed in case of major emergency

IN the case of a major emergency, surgical staff at Monaghan General Hospital could be called in to perform after-hours surgery, the Health Service Executive (HSE) said yesterday.

The hospital has been at the centre of controversy this month after a 76-year-old Patrick Walsh died at the hospital because he was unable to get emergency surgery.

Monaghan General can only provide emergency surgery from 8am-5pm every day after a protocol was issued by the HSE saying emergency surgery should be re-directed to hospitals in Cavan or Drogheda after hours.

A spokeswoman for the HSE, North Eastern Area said yesterday that under the hospital’s major emergency plans, staff can be called in to help perform emergency surgery.

Community groups in Monaghan had earlier scoffed at a garda/HSE accident simulation in Cavan yesterday, saying their local hospital would “be of limited help” as it wouldn’t be able to operate on the injured.

Monaghan Health Services Action Group (HSAG) chairman Peadar McMahon said: “Everyone would be going to Cavan or Drogheda if they needed surgery and there would be a potential problem if a medical problem was brought to us and it turned out to need surgical care.

“Even our ability to keep somebody stabilised before being transferred is questionable. We don’t know how the hospitals would cope with the numbers.”

Up to 200 members of the gardaí, the HSE, Civil Defence and representatives of the Cavan and Monaghan county councils took part in the simulated crash where a plane ‘crashed’ into a factory and a school.

The ‘accident’ took place shortly before 5pm and under the plan, victims were to be brought to Cavan and Monaghan Hospitals.

Sergeant Brendan Walsh said that the exercise was “very worthwhile” as it brought different personnel together.

“To date, there have been no major crashes in this county but you can never be too prepared. When everyone left, they were asked to reflect on what changes were necessary and then they were asked to make submissions so a potential situation could be improved,” he said.

The HSAG has long been arguing the potential for disaster if there was a major industrial accident in the area. They have also called for the introduction of fully trained paramedics on the county’s ambulances.