‘This is a life they are dealing with’

AN EAST Cork family has spoken of “the utter disregard” shown to them and their four-month-old daughter Emma by the HSE after it cancelled an operation that could save their daughter’s sight.

Emma Roche was born in July with two cataracts over her eyes. Paediatric ophthalmologists immediately told her parents, Karen and Conor, that it was vital that an operation to remove them took place within three months of birth or else she could lose her vision permanently.

The cataract on her left eye was removed on October 14 at Cork University Hospital using a stationary microscopic lens machine at theatre four and the second operation on her right eye was scheduled for November 11. But just six days beforehand, their paediatric ophthalmologist, Gerry O’Connor contacted the Roche family to say that he had just been told that due to the reconfiguration of breast cancer services at CUH, theatre four had been closed. He could not say when the operation would take place.

“I was in shock. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe that this could happen to a little girl.

“This was a little baby’s sight we were talking about. This was urgent and could not be postponed. I could tell that Mr O’Connor was shocked at their handling of this too,” she said.

Karen and Conor, from Castlemartyr in Co Cork, spent the next two days ringing around CUH management to find out when the operation could be rescheduled. Eventually at 4pm on Friday, November 6, they were told that they could go to Temple Street in Dublin on Wednesday, November 11 or 18.

The couple, who also have two-year-old twins, chose November 18 for family reasons but then on Monday, November 9, they received an urgent call from Professor Michael O’Keeffe who said that they shouldn’t waste any more time as the sooner the second operation took place, the more likely that Emma’s sight would be saved. They immediately went to Temple Street, where she had the operation.

“We have been through hell in the last few weeks. Why were we treated with such utter disregard? Why weren’t we contacted with alternative arrangements as soon as they knew about shutting theatre four? Why did have to ring around for two days before we were given another option for our daughter. We have also been offered no kind of after-care in Cork. There seems to have been no communication channels at all. It is not right. This is a life they are dealing with,” said Karen.

Deputy Kathleen Lynch aired the handling of Emma Roche’s case during questions in the Dáil this week.

Emma has been back to Temple Street for a check-up since and is making a good recovery, according to her medical team. When contacted yesterday, a HSE South spokesman could not provide a comment.