asked the Minister for Health the number of cases which have been diagnosed for tonsillectomy under the school medical scheme in County Donegal during the past five years but which have not yet received attention.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Medical Scheme.
7.
I am informed by the North Western Health Board that at present in County Dublin there are 56 children awaiting examination at the ear, nose and throat clinics following school health examinations. A further 42 children are awaiting tonsillectomy operations following examination at those clinics.
How many children did the Minister say?
I said there are 56 children awaiting examination at the ear, nose and throat clinics following school health examinations and a further 42 children are awaiting tonsillectomy operations following examinations at those clinics.
Could the Minister tell me how long they have been waiting?
That I could not say exactly. I should tell the Deputy that the North Western Health Board have recently appointed their own ear, nose and throat surgeon and he will certainly be able to cut down the waiting list.
Is the Minister aware that we have all the facilities necessary for doing these minor operations in the Shiel Hospital in Ballyshannon but they are not being used?
Is the Minister aware that the delay and the cause of the backlog are due to the fact that all these children have in the past been taken to Dublin for what is quite a simple operation and will he assure the House that the arrangement now being made will obviate the necessity of having patients taken from Donegal to Dublin for simple tonsil operations?
Up to now there are, I think, about four such operations carried out in respect of Donegal children in St. Vincent's Hospital in Dublin and in the eye and ear hospital also. As I pointed out to Deputy Brennan, while a surgeon has been appointed, he has not yet taken up duty. It is hoped that, when he does take up duty, the waiting list will be cut down.
8.
asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that several primary schools in County Donegal were not visited under the school medical scheme in 1973; and if he will make a statement on the rapid decline of this scheme.
It was not the intention, when the revised school health services were introduced in 1971 that all national schools would be visited each year. The aim was to have the larger schools visited annually and the smaller ones visited once every two years.
I accept that during the past three years national schools in Donegal have not been visited by school medical officers as frequently as hoped. The major reason for this is that the North Western Health Board has been unable to recruit its authorised number of medical staff. The board is, however, continuing its efforts to recruit such staff.
Would the Minister agree that so few have been visited, particularly in the last year, the public have come to believe the scheme is no longer in existence?
If that is the position, the trouble has not just occurred in the last year. As I explained in answer to the previous question, there is a shortage of staff. It is hoped to recruit more staff. The authorised number of medical posts is six, comprising one chief medical officer and five assistant chief medical officers, one of whom is temporary. For the past two years the figure has been only four and this has caused delay in examinations.
Would the Minister be in a position to give the reason why they were unable to recruit the necessary staff?
This is not just a problem related solely to the medical profession but to other professions as well, with all due respect, where Donegal is concerned. It is difficult to induce members of the medical profession to go to Donegal. The Local Appointments Commission advertised recently and I am informed that the posts advertised were not filled.
The problem has not arisen in just the last 12 months. I would like to ask the Minister would he, because of the difficulty in obtaining medical staff in Donegal, consider recommending to the North West Regional Health Board that dispensary doctors and nursing personnel available locally should be drafted in to carry out these very necessary examinations?
I cannot give the Deputy any definite information about the medical officers, but public health nurses undertake certain limited examinations in regard to vision, posture and cleanliness. They are not complete. There are difficulties in recruiting the necessary staff to ensure that the maximum number of examinations is carried out.
Deputy Cunningham rose.
The Chair has given Deputies a great deal of latitude. We must make some progress. I am calling Question No. 9.
May I ask one supplementary?
If Deputies persist in debating every question no progress will be made.
I want to ask the Minister——
Deputies
Chair, Chair.
——arising out of his reply, would he care to elaborate on his statement as to the difficulty of getting doctors to take up posts in Donegal?
A Deputy
It is too cold.
I do not want to inconvenience the Deputy, but the Chair has already allowed a great many supplementaries on this one question.