Garda work at risk over doctor shortfall

THE country is facing a “looming crisis” due to a lack of forensic doctors available to do vital garda work, medical experts warned yesterday.

Many victims of sexual assault are being driven up to 100 miles for a medical examination because of a dire shortage of forensic doctors, experts said.

The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) and leading forensic expert Professor Denis Cusack said they had repeatedly raised the problem with the Department of Justice, but nothing had been done. There are only three doctors for the whole of Dublin, with a similar shortage elsewhere.

“There is a looming crisis in relation to forensic doctors,” said Prof Cusack, who is head of forensic and legal medicine at UCD and the coroner for Kildare,” he said. “The number of doctors providing the service has fallen dramatically. If we don’t set up a proper structure now we are going to end up in a very serious situation. We’re already heading towards that.”

IMO spokesman Dr Ronan Boland said the current service operated on a “wing on a prayer” and was getting worse as fewer doctors wanted to do the job.

“It’s simply not acceptable from anyone’s point of view, least of all the victim, people who have suffered a serious sexual assault being put in the back of a garda car and travelling for 100 miles to have appropriate swabs and so on taken,” he said.

Doctors who do garda work conduct examinations on suspects and victims in custody, take samples in drink-driving cases and deal with people with mental health difficulties.

Dr Boland said there was no contract for the work, no training, no career structure, nor a system to ensure coverage.

Prof Cusack said he first highlighted the problem with the Justice Minister in 1998 and had written several times since. “I have received a series of acknowledgement letters saying my letter had been received. I would have to say that the support from the minister and the department has been quite slow.”

Dr Boland said that apart from acknowledgements they have had no formal response from the department. He said the IMO had met senior garda management, who shared their concerns.

The IMO, Prof Cusack and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) are calling for the creation of a panel of qualified and trained doctors to provide a 24-hour service. A garda spokesman said: “We would welcome a more formal structural arrangement to ensure An Garda Síochána had access to medical practitioners as and when required.”

A Justice Department spokeswoman said it was in talks with the Garda Commissioner on “how best to improve services”.