Full-time cath lab ‘life and death issue’ in south-east
Thousands took to the streets last September to demand a 24/7 service for the regional hospital.
“We should not be forced to again take to the streets to beg for a service that every other regional hospital has,” said Hilary O’Neill, a founder member of SEPAG.
Waterford hospital is a category 4 acute facility, the same as larger hospitals in Dublin, Cork and Galway.
“In Cork, there are six cath-labs available round-the-clock servicing a population of 600,000,” she said. “In Waterford, there’s a temporary cath lab opened eight hours a day from Monday to Friday serving 500,000 people in the south-east. This is a very political issue and many lives in the south-east are very much at risk.”
The public has demanded a 24/7 service in the Waterford regional.
“This is a matter of life and death for the 500,000 people living in the south-east region that this government seems to have forgotten about. This is not a ‘parish pump’ issue as some in Dublin have described it,” she said.
“All we have heard since September is mere lip service and no delivery of the 24/7 cardiac services.
“When several thousand people took to the streets in September, it was a horrible day, cold with bucketing rain. We expect thousands more this Saturday in Ballybricken at 2pm. We want the health minister and the Government to realise we have not gone away. Our lives matter and our voices will be heard.”
She added: “Just look at the facts. One in three of us will need cardiac services at some point in our lives.
“In 2015, 139 emergency cardio patients presented at UHW. 65 patients had their procedures carried out but the remaining 77 who presented at the cath lab, outside operating hours of 9am-5pm Monday to Friday, were sent to Cork or Dublin.
"These numbers are well above the 100-patient requirement under guidelines to qualify for a 24/7 cardiac care service at our hospital.”
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