asked the Minister for Health whether any emergency medical service exists in the Dublin housing areas, apart from the local dispensary doctors to whom medical card patients may turn on the occurrence of an emergency outside normal dispensary hours; if so, what service; and what action is taken to ensure that patients know of the existence of such a service.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Emergency Medical Service.
2.
The Deputy's question would appear to imply that the services of district medical officers are available to eligible persons only during the hours of normal dispensary sessions. This, of course, is not the position. Besides attending dispensary sessions, a district medical officer is obliged to attend eligible persons in their homes, where the nature of the illness so requires, and he is also required to attend emergency calls received on behalf of such persons at any time. The instructions on the general medical services cards issued to elegible persons by the Dublin Health Authority make the position in this respect clear.
Apart from the general practitioner service provided by district medical officers a hospital service, provided through the Dublin general hospitals, is available in emergency, in conjunction with which an ambulance service is also available.
Question No. 3 postponed.