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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 7 Apr 1960

Vol. 180 No. 14

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mallow Hospital Surgeon.

7.

asked the Minister for Health if he has seen the report of the 6th instant that the County Surgeon for North Cork stated that he was unable to attend the Circuit Court at Kanturk as he was the only doctor in Mallow County Hospital supervising and treating surgical cases, that if he left for some time there was nobody in a position to deputise for him, and that his position in Mallow County Hospital was quite distinct from surgeons in other county hospitals where a locum or substitute could readily be obtained; and if he has any statement to make on the matter.

I have seen the report referred to and I regret to say that the position in the Mallow County Hospital was correctly stated by the acting county surgeon.

The I.M.A. boycott of medical posts was applied with particular severity to Mallow County Hospital and to the acting county surgeon who is employed there. The local authority found it impossible to recruit a locum or deputy for the Surgeon; indeed when long overdue holidays were granted to that hard-pressed officer in October and November last the grave and unprecedented step of closing down the surgical side of the hospital was forced on the local authority. Fortunately, nobody died as a result of this serious action. If they had, it could scarcely be denied that the boycott of the I.M.A. would have been responsible. In any event, lives were endangered, and inconvenience, stress and strain were imposed on the hospital services in the area and on the surgical patients who, as a result of the boycott, were dispersed to other hospitals.

Look at your own colleagues.

He loves trouble.

Apart from blocking the prospects of relief to the present surgeon by making it impossible to recruit a Deputy or locum, I very much regret to say that economic and social pressure was exerted locally on him. As the surgeon concerned is leaving to take an appointment abroad, I should like to take this opportunity of paying tribute to the devoted service which he gave to the patients of this hospital in exceedingly trying circumstances and I am sure all right-thinking men will join me in wishing him well.

What will you do when he goes?

Furthermore, I regret to say that doctors who would have worked in Mallow County Hospital were intimidated from taking up duty. The approved resident medical establishment of Mallow County Hospital is one registrar and two house-doctors. Efforts of the local authority to recruit young doctors for these posts have failed; I have documentary evidence that the I.M.A. refused to accept advertisements for these posts in the Journal of the Medical Association although they accepted advertisements for similar medical posts in other local authority hospitals. I also have documentary evidence that the I.M.A. prevailed on the British Medical Association to refuse to accept similar advertisements in the British Medical Journal. All this, no doubt, as part of the Association's "Advisory Service" to its members.

Perhaps I should also say that I do not believe that the general body of members of the Irish Medical Association are behind the Central Council in this campaign.

May I inquire from the Minister whether his forecasting of the tragic deaths in consequence of the I.M.A. action has any association with the appointment by him and his Government of the President of the I.M.A. to the post of coroner?

I did not catch the end of the Deputy's Supplementary Question. Perhaps he will repeat it?

Another Sharpeville.

Is the Minister prepared to give the House an undertaking that he will make an Easter resolution to answer Parliamentary Questions without sniping at the I.M.A.?

The I.M.A. are very intimately concerned with the situation. They are responsible for the fact that this hospital had to be closed in October and November. I think the Deputy's humanitarianism ought to extend to those who are ill and are thereby affected.

The Minister has no humanitarianism in him.

Let someone finish the dispute for the Minister.

Has the Taoiseach no control over the Minister?

Poor Deputy Moher was trying to ask a Supplementary Question.

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