The number of people awaiting cardiac surgery operations at the Mater Hospital at the end of September 1994 was 1,460, which represented an increase of 162 over the figure of 1,298 at the end of September 1993. The compilation of the waiting list at the Mater Hospital does not give a breakdown of the various categories of cardiac surgery operations.
In 1993, I allocated a sum of £1 million from the waiting list fund to enable the necessary facilities to be put in place at the National Cardiac Unit, Mater Hospital, to increase the annual throughput of open heart surgery at the hospital from 750 to 1,000 — an increase of 33 per cent. In addition, in 1993 and 1994, I have provided capital funds which will facilitate the doubling of cardiac surgery at Cork Regional Hospital from 200 to 400 patients each year.