Man suffering heart attack left hospital ‘due to delays’

A MAN, in the throes of a heart attack, left a hospital emergency& department after “several hours” because he could not get attention.

The patient was rushed from the Mid-Western Regional hospital in Limerick, in a friend’s jeep to get emergency treatment at a GPs’ out-of-hours clinic, in the small town of Hospital 17 miles away. The GP discovered the man had a heart attack and had him returned, in the jeep, to the Dooradoyle hospital.

Dr Mary Gray, the Mid-West representative on the national committee of GPs said the incident occurred on February 7. GPs, she said, are now very concerned conditions at the overstretched emergency& department in the Limerick hospital will worsen next week when intensive care units at Nenagh and Ennis Hospital are due to close.