asked the Minister for Health the contract price for the laboratory computerisation system at Wilton Regional Hospital, Cork; whether tenders were invited for this and other computerisation contracts in Irish hospitals and the reason no Irish firm have been successful in obtaining any of these contracts.
Written Answers. - Hospitals' Laboratory Computerisation.
457.
A contract has not been placed for a computerised laboratory system in the Regional Hospital at Wilton, Cork.
Contracts placed to-date cover patient administration and pharmacy systems which were selected following a comprehensive report from the special study groups in the health sector under the Review Body on Computerisation; that body was set up by the Government and handled by management consultants.
Requests for integrated hospital systems went out to some 35 suppliers who were active in this country in the supply of computer hardware and software. Such products were only available through American companies.
The products chosen run on hardware supplied by Digital Equipment Ireland.