Councillors to grill HSE officials over lack of ambulance

Senior HSE and ambulance officials have been summoned to explain, in person, to Cork County Council why no ambulance was made available to take Vakaris Martinaitis to hospital after falling from an upstairs bedroom window.

The two-year-old died in hospital last Wednesday, 48 hours after the bank holiday incident at his Midleton home.

Ex-Cork hurling star Kevin Hennessy rushed to the family’s aid and took the injured child first to Southdoc and then to hospital in his car after being informed no ambulance was available.

Standing orders were suspended at a Cork County Council meeting yesterday after Midleton-based Cllr Noel Collins (Ind) said there was a need to debate “an ambulance service in total chaos in East Cork”.

While the HSE has promised an investigation of the incident, councillors want answers themselves, especially in East Cork and also Millstreet where two ambulances were recently withdrawn from service.

Cllr Collins said health service reform by successive governments “had left people suffering the consequences”.

He said the death of the little boy was “further evidence of crazy, muddled-up, health service reform”.

“How much more suffering will the people of Midleton and Youghal have to endure until the HSE acts,” he asked. “For safety and wellbeing, we need a 24/7 ambulance-based service in both towns. We want HSE cutbacks buried before they bury all of us,” Cllr Collins added.

Meanwhile, up to 60 people, mainly parents, protested in Midleton yesterday about inadequate ambulance cover.

William Murphy, a retired worker from Midleton, called on David Stanton TD to seek to make public the details of the 999 call made by Mr Hennessy to ambulance control.

At a public protest outside the Fine Gael TD’s office, he also repeatedly demanded Mr Stanton commit to having the former ambulance system re-instated.

The local TD indicated he wouldn’t make that commitment, but said: “I want the best for East Cork.”

Another protester, Sabrina Lyons from Cloyne, said the death of the little boy was “the final straw” for the people of Midleton.

“You have to give every chance you can to your children and that isn’t happening here,” the mother of two said. “The cuts to HSE services mean people from this town that shouldn’t be dying are dying.”

Another mother of two, Susan Buckley from Owenacurra, heaped praise on the local paramedics.

“Our paramedics are wonderful, but it is the system that failed this little boy,” she said.

At the council meeting, meanwhile, Cllr Michael Hegarty (FG) said: “If no ambulance was in the area why didn’t the HSE contact a private contractor who had two ambulances available?” He secured cross-party support when he requested HSE officials be summoned to a meeting. “That is what the people demand and what they’re entitled to. Minister O’Reilly should also intervene in this situation.”

Cllr Veronica Neville (FG) said the Martinaitis family were suffering the torture of never knowing if their child could have been saved. “The entire service seems to be quite disjointed. Staff can’t be blamed if they’re not allocated correctly,” she said.

Cllr Michelle Hennessy (SF) branded the service an absolute disgrace”, while Cllr Noel Buckley (FG) said the withdrawal of Millstreet’s ambulance was causing significant concern in that area.

Cllr Noel McCarthy (Lab) said: “Somebody must come in here and explain to us what’s going on.”

Politicians bear brunt of criticism over ambulance service

On the day that the toddler that catapulted East Cork’s ambulance crisis to the front pages was buried, people in Midleton warned he “should not have died in vain”.

Politicians, in particular, came in for sharp criticism from locals who said nobody was tackling the HSE over its ambulance strategy in the wider Cork area.

Matt Donovan, from Leamlara outside Midleton, said “patients need to be put first in the health service”.

“I feel very let down by the politicians on this. This is not the first death that could be linked to a lack of ambulance cover, yet there is nobody trying change things and get them right,” he said.

“I thought this Government would do things, but they’re not. They’re not honest. They’re looking after the rich and not the ordinary man who depends on that ambulance in times of emergency,” he said.

Mary Clifford from Midleton described what happened to Vakaris Martinaitis as a “disgrace”.

“I am so disappointed in Minister Reilly. They don’t care about anything outside the cities. They have no idea what it’s like to be an hour away from a hospital. They never make the right decision, just crazy decisions, that just cause more trouble in the long term,” she said.

Noel Murray, also from Midleton, said he couldn’t believe what had happened.

“I was talking to Kevin Hennessey afterwards and it’s just unbelievable. But will anything change as that child should not have died in vain. How many more situations like this will have to have to get a guaranteed ambulance service outside the city,” he asked.

Katrina Cucova, from Midleton, said “something should be done so this tragedy is not repeated”.

“Something has to be done by the HSE and the politicians. I don’t think they are listening to us about this, but this town needs to have an ambulance based here and not in Youghal,” she said.