asked the Minister for Health in how many county hospitals throughout the country there is a resident doctor at all times available for the treatment and care of casualty and emergency cases.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Hospitals: Resident Doctors.
14.
I have some difficulty in interpreting the Deputy's question, which seems to imply that an adequate medical service is not available in any hospital unless there is a doctor present and on duty at all times in the hospital.
The medical practitioner staff of a county hospital normally consists of a county surgeon who lives in a residence in the hospital grounds where one is provided or, where one is not provided, convenient to the hospital, a county physician who also resides convenient to the hospital, an anaesthetist who may be resident or non-resident, and more junior medical staff who normally reside in quarters within the curtilage of the hospital. Such staff, as appropriate, is available at all times for the treatment of casualty and emergency cases.
When a general inquiry was made from local authorities regarding numbers of resident junior medical staff employed on recent dates, it was ascertained that there was no such staff in five of the county hospitals; but in all such cases other arrangements had been made to deal with emergency cases.
The Minister said he failed to understand the implication in my question. I do not know whether it is necessary to discuss implications. The question was directed to ascertaining a fact which I think should be available to the Minister, namely, in how many county hospitals is there a resident doctor at all times available. I should like the Minister to answer that question if he can.
I have answered the Deputy's question very fully and very accurately. One has, first of all, to grasp what the Deputy had in mind in putting down the question and therefore my reference to the implication. I pointed out to him that in any cases where there is no resident staff, in the absolute sense of the word, provision is made to have medical attention readily available, when necessary.
Does the Minister think it desirable that there should be any county hospital where there is not a resident doctor available at all times to deal with emergency and casualty cases?
I should like to have that position brought about. I agree it is desirable there should be a doctor on duty at all times, but as the Deputy knows, for a great many years past, not in recent times, in certain counties, that has been regarded as a counsel of perfection and so we have to try to find a reasonable alternative.
Arising further out of the reply, is the Minister aware that in at least one county hospital, the house physician is, in fact, a dispensary doctor, holding a dispensary some distance from the hospital?
This is dealing with a particular instance and the question is of a general nature.
I think it is very relevant.
It deals with a particular instance and the question is of a general nature.
Perhaps the Deputy would put down a precise question.