Family emigrates over ‘lack of facilities’ at CUH

The family of a young boy with cystic fibrosis was so disillusioned with the lack of facilities for their son at Cork University Hospital that they emigrated to New Zealand where they say services are far superior.

Niall Martin, from Ovens, Co Cork, moved lock, stock, and barrel to Auckland with his wife Pauline and 5-year-old son Seán earlier this year, blaming their decision to uproot on “a genuine fear that the facilities, or lack thereof, at CUH would lead to grave difficulties for the health of our son”.

Niall said Seán had daily physiotherapy sessions in a public corridor while an in-patient at CUH.

Niall, who was prompted to write to the Irish Examiner after he read from afar an article highlighting the substandard nature of inpatient accommodation on the children’s ward at CUH, said they had had “first-hand experience of the lack of facilities”.

He said the cystic fibrosis paediatric team at CUH were “a dedicated bunch of professionals”, led by consultant paediatricians Dr David Mullane and Dr Muireann Ní Chroinín. However, he added that they were working out of “quite simply, archaic facilities”.

Niall said that during the four years Seán was under the care of consultants at CUH, he had two admissions for IV (intravenous) antibiotics and the experience was not pleasant.

“How best to describe the experience? Cramped conditions, hard chairs (if we were lucky) for parents to sleep on, no TV, shared toilets with no natural light, and last but not least... daily physiotherapy in the hospital corridor… a public corridor, with all the associated risks of cross infection. A disgrace,” Niall said.

Seán was recently admitted for IV antibiotics in Auckland, and Niall gives a glowing account.

“How best to describe the experience? A private modern room, pull-out bed for parents to sleep on, TV with children’s channels and sports channels, an en suite toilet with shower, and last but not least… twice daily physiotherapy in a specific physiotherapy room. A breath of fresh air.”

Niall said he felt “compelled to write and let you know how ‘the other half’ live” after he read an Irish Examiner article in which Dr Mullane said the in-patient accommodation at CUH is not fit for purpose and should be flattened.

“The pictures of CUH that appeared in your article brought it all home to us — and have helped reinforce for us that our decision to leave Ireland was the right one. Our decision to leave was for Seán — to give him the best shot at what may be a short and complicated life,” Niall said.

Seán is an Irish citizen and “luckily for him, also a New Zealand citizen”, Niall said.

Ireland has the highest incidence of cystic fibrosis in the world, yet patients and their families are continually forced to campaign for adequate facilities and frequently raise funds themselves.

Cystic fibrosis is a chronic disease that affects organs like the liver, lungs, pancreas, and intestines.