Hopes high for radiotherapy unit go-ahead

HOPES were growing in the Mid-Western region last night that the battle to have a €6.1 million radiotherapy unit situated in Limerick will succeed. Two junior ministers, Willie O’Dea and Tim O’Malley, yesterday expressed confidence that Minister for Health Micheál Martin will give the go-ahead for the radiotherapy facility.

Ministers O’Dea and O’Malley were commenting in the wake of a meeting between the minister and representatives of the Western Hospitals Trust Fund in Dublin on Tuesday night.

The trust have already raised €6.1 million to build a radiotherapy centre in the grounds of the Limerick Regional Hospital which is backed by the Mid-Western Health Board. Hopes are rising that if the Government approve the facility it will be up and running within two years to cater for the 1,500 cancer patients diagnosed in the Mid-West Region every year.Mr Martin has ordered a reexamination of the proposal for the unit which will cater for both private and public patients.

Louis Craven, chairman of the Mid-Western Hospitals Trust Fund said yesterday that they had a very “cordial” meeting with the minister. “We are very optimistic as we progress our proposals in the next couple of weeks. The minister has not said ‘No’ to our proposal for a radiotherapy unit in Limerick and he is very positive. I am more confident now than when I went to Dublin for the meeting.”

Minister of State in the Department of Health Tim O’Malley said, “I am absolutely thrilled with the meeting we had with Minister Martin and representatives of the Mid-Western Hospitals Trust Fund. I would be 99% confident that a radiotherapy centre will go ahead in Limerick.”

Mr O’Malley pointed out that all the questions asked by Mr Martin and his officials were answered very competently by the Trust Fund representatives. Any problems Mr Martin had with the plan were certainly allayed by the competence and very affective presentation by the group from the Trust Fund.

Mr O’Dea too agreed that the Limerick delegation presented a very good case and was able to convince Mr Martin that a radiotherapy unit in Limerick is consistent with the overall cancer treatment plan in the country. “I am extremely confident as a result of our meeting and, if this is not allowed to go ahead after one more meeting, I certainly will want to know the reason why.”