Massive campaign to save cancer services fails
The HSE indicated it is pressing ahead with plans to relocate breast cancer diagnosis and surgery from the Tralee hospital to a centre of excellence at Cork University Hospital (CUH).
Professor Tom Keane, director of the National Cancer Strategy, expects about 900 women from Kerry to travel annually to Cork for diagnosis. He also said travel arrangements are to be put in place for Kerry breast cancer patients.
But Prof Keane also pointed out just 7% of these women going to Cork for diagnosis will actually have breast cancer — requiring a return visit.
Supplementary funds have now been provided by Prof Keane to the Irish Cancer Society to augment travel services already provided.
He also said many patients from around the county currently travel for cancer treatment and diagnosis not provided at Kerry General Hospital. Prof Keane was replying to a letter from Kerry Independent Councillor Brendan Cronin who claimed the “writing was on the wall” for cancer services at Kerry General Hospital.
“The HSE are driving ahead and nothing will stop them,” he claimed.
Last week, a representative delegation from Kerry travelled to Dublin to hand in a petition with 21,000 signatures to the offices of Health Minister Mary Harney.
A meeting between the minister and the group has been scheduled for August 13, even if plans to relocate cancer services in eight centres of excellence around the country are going ahead.
Several groups in Kerry including Woman 2000, the Irish Countrywomen’s Association and the West Kerry Action Group have been campaigning for the retention of cancer services in Tralee. They have claimed adequate resources may not be provided to the centre of excellence in Cork.
However, on a recent visit to Kerry, HSE chief executive Professor Brendan Drumm said sufficient resources would be made available.
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