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Health Service in KK/CW

  • 25-04-2006 5:06pm
    #1
    road_high
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,639 ✭✭✭✭


    Cancer doctor lashes
    A leading cancer doctor has lashed out at the treatment of local cancer patients.
    Dr Brian Cantwell, a part-time consultant at St Luke's Hospital, says the hospital's cancer unit is "ill equipped and staffed" to look after the number of patients from Kilkenny and Carlow.
    Conditions at the hospital for cancer patients have not improved for many years, Dr Cantwell writes in a highly critical letter to the Kilkenny People published today.
    St Luke's has only "rudimentary facilities" for the non-surgical treatment of cancer patients despite the high number of patients who enter the hospital every year for treatment, he says.
    "Patients are still being assessed and treated within a prefabricated unit, which denies patients privacy and dignity," the letter continues. "If it were not for the tireless dedication of the oncology nurses things could not continue."
    Better facilities and staffing levels would remove the need for patients from making the trip to Waterford's over-crowded hospital, he adds.
    "Cancer patients from Carlow and Kilkenny need to have more specialist doctors, nurses and improved facilities, and these should be provided immediately," he concludes.
    Senator blames Harney
    Senator John Paul Phelan, a Fine Gael election candidate, said in a separate statement issued this week that Health Minister Mary Harney is responsible for the failure to provide adequate cancer services in the South East.
    "There is still no radiotherapy service for patients in the South East," Senator Phelan said in a press release. "This was a firm promise by Fianna Fáil at the last general election. The oncology ward at Waterford Regional Hospital needs to be urgently upgraded to deal with the increasing number of patients attending that unit."
    Senator Phelan added that Minister Harney has reversed a pledge to improve transport links for local people who need to travel to Dublin for treatment. "Cancer patients must continue to endure both their illness and the difficulties associated with getting their treatment."
    Local pull
    Senator Phelan noted that people who treat cancer patients at home are paid in some areas but are not fully funded in Kilkenny.
    "In the South East, 80% of the funding for this service is voluntary. In Minister Harney's and the taoiseach's constituencies, these teams are 100% funded by the HSE. You would expect that the tánaiste and the taoiseach would be embarrassed to allow this type of political favouritism occur."
    The Fine Gael candidate said counselling for cancer patients is almost non-existent. Furthermore, the failure to roll out screening for cancer of the cervix shows sheand the taoiseach are not committed to women's health, he said.
    "The people of the South East would be right to call a vote of no confidence in the tanaiste as they continue to wait for her to fulfil her empty promises. Once again I am calling on the tánaiste to do the job she was hired to do and address the antiquated cancer services available to patients in the South East region."


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