Cancer rates lead councillors to urge Harney to open ward

DETAILS of alarming cancer rates have led county councillors to call on Health Minister Mary Harney to open a 30-bed ward at Cork University Hospital for sufferers of the disease.

Fianna Fáil Councillor Dan Fleming shocked a number of his colleagues when he outlined information he said he’d received which showed the full extent of the problem.

“One-in-three people in Co Cork suffer from cancer. It’s increasing so that in 10 years’ time 50% will suffer from cancer. There is no cancer ward at CUH, which serves a catchment population of 500,000,” Mr Fleming said.

He then gave a breakdown of figures for cancer services at the hospital last year. There were 2,672 surgical procedures, 24,716 radiation sessions and nearly 5,000 chemotherapy sessions for inpatients.

“There are only two oncologists in Cork and one of them is going, while there are 13 in Beaumount, Dublin,” Mr Fleming added.

The mayor of Co Cork, Cllr Paddy Sheehan, said the figures were frightening, and fully supported a call on Ms Harney to address the situation.

Cllr Gerry Kelly (FG) said that while he supported Mr Fleming’s sentiments, he was astonished Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and his advisors hadn’t come up with the idea before.

He added that the voluntary organisation, Aid Cancer Treatment (ACT), was propping up this sector of the health service, which should be better supported by the Government.

His party colleague, Cllr Jim Daly, said he had a two-year-old nephew who was being treated for cancer in Dublin because there were no proper facilities in Cork.

“I would ask the Minister for Health to get a serious handle on the poor services in Cork,” Mr Daly said.

Cllr Barbara Murray supported the motion, pointing out that there wasn’t one person in the council chamber who did not know somebody affected by cancer.

Fermoy-based Cllr Aileen Pyne told colleagues that she had battled against the disease after being diagnosed with it four years ago.

She added that she was especially concerned about the departure of cancer specialists from the Cork region.

She said that they were going further afield where they could find proper services.