BreastCheck delay a ‘time bomb’, says TD

LIMERICK is facing another health scandal, it was claimed yesterday.

With a recent survey showing Limerick women have the lowest life expectancy in the country, the rollout of BreastCheck in the mid-west takes on a new urgency, Fine Gael TD Kieran O’Donnell has claimed.

The Limerick East TD said the delayed rollout of BreastCheck was “a time bomb for another breast cancer scandal in the Limerick area”.

He criticised Health Minister Mary Harney, claiming she has been complacent on the issue.

Mr O’Donnell said: “At present, all vital routine mammography screening services have been withdrawn by the HSE in the Limerick area, due to a lack of resources in the breast clinic at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital.

“Minister Harney admitted during the debate that when the service was suspended over four months ago, the waiting list for this service was a disgraceful two years.

“Since early March, this breast clinic is only providing symptomatic mammography, with routine screening mammography now falling under the auspices of BreastCheck.

“However, BreastCheck does not exist for the women of Limerick and the mid-west, and the Health Minister in her Dáil reply last May shockingly gave no indication as to when it will be put in place.”

BreastCheck headquarters, he said, was unable to provide him with a precise date for the rollout of screening in Limerick.

“This is an absolute disgrace considering that the women of Limerick have the lowest life expectancy in Ireland and that Limerick is now the only city that does not have BreastCheck in place.

“Clearly this shows that the women of Limerick are being discriminated against and their lives being put at risk.

“Considering these facts, and that breast cancer is the second most common form of cancer in women, there is no excuse for the delay in the rolling out of BreastCheck in Limerick.”

He called on the minister to introduce free mammography in Limerick until such time as BreastCheck is rolled out.

“Anything less than an immediate rollout will be unacceptable and I intend to continue raising this matter until BreastCheck is in place for the women of Limerick,” he said.