asked the Minister for Health how many patients are on waiting lists awaiting (1) surgical treatment, (2) orthopaedic treatment, (3) ENT treatment, (4) paediatric treatment, (5) radiological investigation, and (6) gynaecological treatment in the counties of (a) Roscommon, (b) Galway, (c) Mayo, (d) Leitrim and (e) Sligo at any recent convenient date.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Western Health Services.
8.
As the information requested is in the form of a tabular statement, I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to circulate it with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:
NUMBERS of patients awaiting treatment, under the different categories mentioned on 30th September, 1970.
|
County |
Surgical |
Orthopaedic (c) |
ENT |
Paediatric |
Radiological Investigation |
Gynaecological |
|
Roscommon |
24 |
55 |
4 |
7 |
125 (a) |
6 |
|
Galway |
6 |
42 |
20 |
5 |
90 |
2 |
|
Mayo |
60 |
144 |
26 |
Nil |
150 (f) |
144 (e) |
|
Leitrim |
Nil |
23 |
27 |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
Sligo |
285 (b) |
35 |
90 |
7 |
140 (d) |
103 (b) |
NOTES
(a) The waiting list for radiological examinations for Roscommon patients on the date in question was unusually high, due to technical difficulties with the X-ray apparatus at the county hospital. This apparatus has recently been replaced. The normal waiting list is 20-30 patients.
(b) The Sligo waiting lists for surgical and gynaecological admissions to the county hospital are higher than normal due to an outbreak of salmonella infection at the hospital which necessitated some beds being given over for isolation purposes and the restriction of admissions generally to emergency cases because of the danger of the spread of infection. The situation in the hospital has now returned to normal and it is expected that the waiting list will be reduced to normal levels quickly.
(c) Many of the patients on the waiting list for admission to Merlin Park Hospital are chronic rheumatic and arthritic cases and are not in the urgent category. The appointment of an additional temporary orthopaedic surgeon has been sanctioned and it is expected that this appointment will reduce the backlog of cases on the waiting list.
(d) The radiologist at Sligo County Hospital, up to recently, was required to provide services at Longford County Hospital. Alternative arrangements have now been made in Longford and the additional time available to the Sligo radiologist should help to reduce the waiting list in Sligo.
(e) Many of these patients are on the waiting list by their own choice i.e. they wish to postpone minor operations. All cases of an urgent nature are admitted to the county hospital or to an extern institution without delay.
(f) At present the radiologist at the County Hospital, Castlebar, also provides services at the Roscommon County Hospital. A third post of radiologist at Galway Regional Hospital is at present being filled through the Local Appointments Commission and it is hoped to provide the necessary services for Roscommon from Galway when a new appointee takes up duty there. An arrangement of this nature would free the Mayo radiologist of his commitments to Roscommon and enable him to concentrate on reducing the waiting list for radiological investigation in Mayo.