Medical school bid to impact politically
The University of Limerick (UL) has insisted it has all the credentials to take on the new medical graduate entry course, which will offer up to 250 places to graduates who already hold third-level qualifications over the next five years. And junior health minister Tim O’Malley has pledged his support to the UL bid.
But the decision as to which third level institution should host the new medical school, due to be made next month, could have significant implications for the Limerick-based junior minister in the forthcoming general election.
The Government is committed to making sure the graduate entry medical college is open by next September.
Professor Paul Finucane, responsible for the formulation of the UL proposal, said that the university was in a position to build a state-of-the-art medical college on campus.
Politically, the outcome of the present process will be eagerly watched as Limerick is the only university city in the country without a medical faculty.
If UL succeeds, the Progressive Democrats will flag it as a major success for Mr O’Malley who has come under increasing pressure in recent months following clashes with psychiatrists.
Locally, in his own Limerick East constituency, he has also incurred the anger of medical staff at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital over claims the hospital was not sufficiently availing of the treatment purchase scheme for patients.
The hospital dismissed Mr O’Malley’s claim and said its low take-up of the treatment purchase scheme was due to its effective management of waiting lists.
Submissions for the new medical school have to be with the Health Service Executive (HSE), which was called in by the Department of Health to co-ordinate the tendering process, by the end of this month.
It is anticipated that a decision on the location of the facility will be made by the end of next month.
It is envisaged that, over the next five years, graduate entry students will grow to 40% (250 students), of the total number attending medical schools.
The Government decided to open a graduate entry school of medicine due to the high drop out rate from the medical profession by doctors who get into college via the very high points requirement.
Hundreds of hospital workers live in Mr O’Malley’s south city base, which takes in Dooradoyle and Raheen.
