‘Doctors have told me it’s a death sentence’

TENS of thousands of people in the south-west face losing live-saving emergency health services with fears that Bantry Hospital is slowly being dripped dry of resources and staff.

Locals are concerned services are set to collapse. The hospital’s only permanent surgeon is finishing up in June and there have been a raft of bed closures.

Budgetary shortfalls, coupled with further cuts expected under a hospital review, have led to fears some facilities, including the hospital’s intensive care unit, could become inoperable.

One local lives with the fear that any cutback would be a death sentence for him. Antaine O’Briain, 42, has suffered seven heart attacks over the last five years. He suffers from unstable angina, which causes cholesterol to block his arteries, and has 11 stents in his heart.

The father-of-five fears he might not be so lucky with another heart attack if he has to travel to Cork city.

“If they (the HSE) decide to close Bantry Hospital, doctors have told me it’s a death sentence for me. Without the hospital, I would be dead.”

Mr O’Briain faces an hour-and-a-half drive to get to Cork’s main hospital.

“I owe my life to Bantry Hospital’s staff and its intensive care unit.”

The HSE last night confirmed at least eight acute care beds at Bantry had been closed. At least two further closures are planned in the coming weeks.

A hospital surgeon’s contract would also finish in June, it was confirmed. The HSE, however, rejected claims by local representatives that anaesthetist services were under threat.

A spokeswoman did confirm the hospital was facing a budgetary shortfall of e1 million. Surgery days had also been reduced from three to two, she added.

“A lot depends on the outcome of the consultations on the hospital’s acute services review. Some services have been rearranged, but frontline patient services are not affected,” she added.