asked the Minister for Health whether in view of the hardship caused to tuberculosis patients and their families from the South Tipperary area by the removal of these patients to Dublin hospitals, he will consider acceding to the expressed wishes of South Tipperary County Council by taking steps to ensure that accommodation for such patients will be provided at Ardkeen Hospital, County Waterford.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - South Tipperary Tuberculosis Patients.
36.
Ardkeen Hospital is now primarily a general medical, surgical and maternity hospital serving Waterford City and County, and no more than 100 beds are available there for the treatment of tuberculosis patients. The Ardkeen Tuberculosis Unit has been fairly fully taken up in catering for the area at present served and it would not be feasible without extension of the Unit to provide in full the sanatorium accommodation needed for South Tipperary patients who number about 50. While I appreciate that the treatment of these patients in Dublin sanatoria involves some inconvenience, the primary consideration is that they should have the benefit of the full range of specialist facilities in order that they may be speedily restored to health. I can assure the Deputy that every resource of skill and experience is at the disposal of these patients and any inconvenience that arises should not be magnified to the extent that that great advantage is overlooked.
Would the Minister agree to a local arrangement between the Waterford Health Authority and the South Tipperary County Council for the provision of beds in Ardkeen for tuberculosis patients?
I have already answered that. I am afraid I could not do that because such an arrangement would necessarily have to be at the expense of the provision of beds for general patients. We have to organise this matter on a national basis.
There are 100 beds available for tuberculosis patients in the sanatorium at Ardkeen.
Yes, but they are fully taken up, or reasonably fully taken up; 97 out of 100 beds is a fairly full occupancy.
Is the Minister aware that the fact that so many people are transported so far from South Tipperary to Dublin is hindering the work of the health authority in that area in relation to the early diagnosis and prevention of tuberculosis? People are reluctant to accept treatment because of the fear of being transported so far from their friends and their families. Transporting patients from South Tipperary to Dublin is a radical change for such patients. Ardkeen is less than 30 miles from South Tipperary. It is much more convenient. I would ask the Minister to reconsider his attitude towards this problem. It is the unanimous wish of the Tipperary County Council that accommodation for tuberculosis patients be made available in Ardkeen.
The Deputy must appreciate that the Minister for Health must consider a problem like this as a whole. After all, he has to make provision for patients who are suffering from diseases other than tuberculosis. Our great problem is that we have not enough beds for everyone and we have, therefore, to utilise beds in the most economical way possible. Any inconvenience experienced by people who have to send relatives or friends to a hospital at some distance for proper treatment is minimal by comparison with the fact that the fullest facilities and most experienced personnel are available to treat such patients whereever they are sent.
I quite appreciate that but, again, I would request the Minister to reconsider the position. If a local arrangement can be made between the South Tipperary County Council and the Waterford Health Authority for "x" number of beds, will the Minister give his approval?
No, I cannot. Do not take me now as shutting my mind in a matter of this sort, but the problem is that we have to treat Ardkeen as a general medical and surgical hospital. The provision for the treatment of tuberculosis in that hospital is subsidiary and we cannot increase the number of beds available for tuberculosis patients in Ardkeen at the expense of those beds which should be available for the general hospital. That is the problem.
Is the Minister aware that the treatment is so good in Ardkeen for these 100 tuberculosis patients that the possibility is there may be vacant beds? I am sure that is what the Deputy has in mind when he asks the Minister, if there is a reasonable number of beds vacant in the sanatorium in Ardkeen, would the Minister approve of an agreement between the South Tipperary County Council and the Waterford Health Authority?
The number of beds available in Ardkeen tuberculosis unit is what might be described as marginal. It does not permit of any extension.