asked the Minister for Health if he will state the number of X-rays carried out by the touring mass radiography van in Cork City and County in 1949.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - X-Ray Facilities.
The mobile mass radiography unit, operated by Cork County Council, commenced the chest X-ray examination of persons in Cork City and County on the 6th April, 1949. During the period to 31st December of that year a total of 7,928 miniature films were taken by the unit. In addition, approximately one-sixth of the persons examined by miniature film were recalled for re-examination by large film.
asked the Minister for Health if he is prepared to sanction the provision of proper X-ray facilities in Cork City, which at present are grossly inadequate and unsatisfactory.
I would inform the Deputy that in my anxiety to improve the X-ray facilities in Cork County Borough, I informed the city health authorities, as far back as the 27th July, 1948, that I would be prepared to make a substantial grant for the purchase of a high-power X-ray apparatus. This offer has not yet been availed of.
The existing tuberculosis clinic at the city hall is inadequate to house the high-power apparatus and suitable accommodation for it is unlikely to be available until a new health clinic for the area is provided by the local authorities concerned (Cork Corporation, Cork County Council and the South Cork Board of Public Assistance). Despite repeated efforts on my part to have this project proceeded with and thereby to improve the health services for the people in the Cork area I have been unable to prevail on these bodies to make any effective progress with the provision of the clinic towards the approved cost of which I am prepared to allocate a two-thirds grant.
Is the Minister aware that Cork Corporation invited the Minister for Health many months ago to meet them in order to discuss the whole position and in order to prevent the serious overlapping which had occurred with architects working on plans that were subsequently not needed at all? Cork Corporation invited the Minister to come to Cork and discuss the matter with them and the other local authorities in order to reach some finality as regards hospitalisation and the provision of clinics in Cork. We have also——
The Deputy must come to some finality in his supplementary question.
It is a change to have you inviting the Minister.
We have also in Cork a very competent medical officer and a very competent tuberculosis officer. They made no demand on the Minister for these X-ray facilities.
May I ask the Minister if the position is that of 7,000 persons examined, one-sixth were required to have a second examination and if——
That is a separate question.
I know, but I want to put the supplementary on this basis.
On a point of order, are we dealing with Cork City now?
Yes.
That question does not refer to Cork City.
Question No. 61 does.
Is it the position that the local authority in Cork is not doing what it ought to do in connection with the very serious position there?
The position as far as the Department of Health is concerned is that that Department feels that better facilities should be afforded in Cork City for X-ray examination and the Minister for Health is pressing that view on the local authorities.
Will the Minister state if the Minister for Health has been invited to consult Cork Corporation in connection with this matter and a lot of other matters?
No other matter arises here except the X-ray.
If the health authorities consider that additional X-ray facilities are required and should be provided in a particular area, it would seem unnecessary that the Minister should have to go down and discuss the matter with the local authority.
With your permission, I propose to raise this matter on the Adjournment, and several other matters.
asked the Minister for Health if he will state (a) the number of X-rays carried out in the mass radiography centre in 1948, (b) how this figure compares with that for 1947, (c) how it compares with the number carried out at a Welsh or English centre of a comparable population, (d) the number of active cases diagnosed in 1947 and in 1948, (e) the number of X-rays carried out by the mass radiography centre up to June 18th, 1950.
The numbers of X-ray examinations carried out at the mass radiography centre, Lord Edward Street, Dublin, in the years 1947 and 1948 were 14,305 (including 5,380 large films) and 15,196 (including 7,183 large films) respectively. The numbers of active cases of tuberculosis diagnosed in those years were 164 and 175 respectively. 68,917 X-ray examinations were carried out at the centre from June, 1946 to 18th June, 1950, of which 10,902 were carried out in the period 1st January, 1950, to 18th June, 1950.
I have ascertained that in an English city, containing approximately the same population as Dublin, a single unit carried out 40,000 miniature X-ray examinations in a year. A comparison between that figure and the figures I have quoted above in respect of the Lord Edward Street unit for periods earlier than this year is not fully valid as up to about a year ago the unit was doing X-ray examinations, by large plate film, of patients attending the corporation's tuberculosis dispensaries.
I am, however, satisfied that the unit could be used to much greater effect, and in December last my Department wrote to the health authority suggesting a substantial increase in the number of weekly sessions for the general public. They were also informed that the unit, with adequate staff and efficient organisation, should be capable of reaching and maintaining a rate of 100 miniature films per session.
A recent investigation which I caused to be made of the present activities of the unit disclosed that this valuable diagnostic service is not being made available to the general public to the extent to which it should be made available. The matter is again being taken up with the health authority, this time as portion of a comprehensive review of local authority radiological services in Dublin, with a view to the provision of a better service for the citizens.