Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 2 Dec 1998

Vol. 497 No. 6

Written Answers - Hospital Services.

Tony Gregory

Question:

190 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Health and Children if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 122 of 26 November 1998, he will ask the hospital authorities to account for the fact that, within the past two weeks a long-term patient at the Mater Hospital, Dublin 7, suffering from AIDS, died on a Saturday and was left until the following Thursday when the family was forced to plead with the coroner to carry out the post mortem in the city morgue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26096/98]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen):

As I previously stated to the Deputy, the Mater Hospital authorities have advised me that they do not currently have the necessary facilities to carry out post mortems on deceased persons with the AIDS virus. They have further stated that this service is not required very often but on those occasions when it is required, the hospital has been able to avail of the service at other local hospitals and the city morgue. The Deputy will also be aware that the upgrading of the hospital's mortuary facilities is included in its major development project.

I understand that in this particular case, when the pathologist in the Mater Hospital notified the city coroner of his patient's death, the coroner decided that it was necessary to carry out a post mortem. In the circumstances, the post mortem had to be carried out at the city morgue.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sympathy to the relatives and friends of the deceased and to emphasise that I will do everything possible to ensure that the Mater's facilities are improved as early as possible.