Vol. 485 No. 1
78 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the long waiting lists in the Mater Hospital for blood pressure portable monitors and portable heart monitors for use by out-patients; the reason for the limited supplies held in view of the fact that the monitors are not that expensive; if he will give details of costs and future purchases in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22539/97]
The Deputy will be aware that detailed decisions in relation to hospital spending are a matter for the hospital management. However, I have had inquiries made of the hospital authorities regarding this matter and I have been advised that the out-patient waiting time for portable heart monitors is approximately four weeks and for blood pressure monitors it is in the region of ten weeks. The hospital authorities have explained that it is necessary to make a number of their monitors available for use by in-patients and emergency admissions and this has contributed to their current waiting list for out-patients.
Furthermore, additional resources have been made available to the hospital which have allowed for the purchase of two new blood pressure monitors and one new portable heart monitor in the past week and I am confident that this will have a favourable impact on existing waiting times for out-patients.
