asked the Minister for Health if he will take the necessary steps to ensure that all those children who require the use of the bone marrow transplant service at Crumlin Hospital, Dublin 12 can be facilitated immediately and that no child will be refused this service because of hospital cut-backs; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Bone Marrow Transplants.
37.
Public voluntary hospitals will be notified of their non-capital allocation for 1989 in the next few days. Officials of my Department will then be meeting with hospital managements to discuss their plans for containing expenditure within allocation. Specific arrangements will be agreed with the hospital authorities in Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin which will provide for adequate resources to deal with the anticipted demand for bone marrow transplants in 1989.
As far as I am aware, no child has ever been refused this service nor are children likely to be in the future. If the Deputy is aware of any case where this service has been denied to a child, I would appreciate if he would forward the details to me so that the matter can be investigated.