asked the Minister for Health if he will arrange with the Eastern Health Board for the provision of an emergency heart ambulance service, in view of the fact that the private service has ceased to operate.
Ceisteanna—Questions . Oral Answers . - Heart Ambulance Service .
19.
: An ambulance service for medical emergencies, including cardiac cases, is provided in Dublin by the fire brigade ambulance service.
Arising out of the discontinuance of the private service referred to by the Deputy a discussion was held on 26 May between officers of my Department, officers of the Eastern Health Board and cardiologists from Dublin hospitals to consider the position and the need for a special cardiac ambulance service. The Eastern Health Board are considering the matter further in the light of this discussion.
: Do I understand that the fire brigade ambulance is providing cardiac facilities?
: What I said was an ambulance service for medical emergencies including cardiac cases is provided in Dublin by the fire brigade ambulance service.
: Is the Minister aware that, when this private ambulance service was in operation, the normal procedure when other ambulances were called to what was even suspected of being a heart case, was to alert this private ambulance as well and this ambulance went to the case? Irrespective of which ambulance took the patient this private ambulance was paid for going out on the call. Would it not be as easy to provide an ambulance by the Eastern Health Board as to do that?
: There is some difference of opinion about this matter. The important factor at the moment is that the private service has ceased and the health board have to consider what they should do in these circumstances. They have had a meeting with the people concerned, including cardiologists, and are considering the outcome of those discussions at the moment.
: Surely the Minister has seen the report in the papers that the private service ceased due to the fact that the drivers operating this service joined a union and the owner said that financially he was not able to cope with this and this is why he decided to withdraw the service.
: I am not in a position to comment on that.
: This is a newspaper statement. I am not asking the Minister to comment on it.
: Question No. 20.
: Surely the Minister should consider the provision of such an ambulance as it is badly needed.
: That is under consideration by the Eastern Health Board at the moment.
: Would the Minister appreciate that this matter is urgent because a delay even of days could involve a loss of life? Therefore it is not a matter to be taken at the normal pace of inter-departmental consultation but does require very urgent consideration.
: I agree, and I can only repeat that there are differences of opinion about the sort of service to be provided.
: People should not die while differences of opinion are being sorted out.
: The Deputy should not be facetious about these matters.
: I am not being facetious.