asked the Minister for Health if he will take steps to ensure that facilities for tubal ligation are provided in at least one hospital in each health board area.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tubal Ligation.
1.
I am currently examining the situation in relation to the general availability of the procedure referred to by the Deputy and I will communicate with him as soon as I have completed this examination.
The Minister is aware, I am sure, that there is only one hospital providing this facility and that is in the Southern Health Board region. Will the Minister ensure that at least one hospital in each health board area will provide this facility?
I am conscious of the Deputy's request. I am aware that the procedure is carried out in one hospital only and that is in the Southern Health Board area. I imagine it is carried out elsewhere but that information is not made readily available to the Department. There is a private clinic in Celbridge which undertakes the sterilisation operation on a private basis. The Deputy can be assured that it is my wish that there should be general availability in each health board area. I am currently examining the situation and endeavouring to bring about improvement in this area.
Without wishing to pursue the matter much further, could the Minister indicate when he expects to be able to provide the information concerning the existing availability of this facility and what lapse of time will be involved in ensuring that there is general availability as a result of his inquiries?
Where the procedure is deemed necessary for medical reasons, which is the ordinary reason why it would be deemed appropriate, my Department would consider that to be part of a hospital's normal activity and it would be funded by the ordinary allocations like any other service. I have been looking at this matter for several months. It is not unconnected with recent legislation in the area, and I am endeavouring to ensure that cover is given. The VHI can pay for the procedure in the ordinary course of events. Provided it was for medical reasons it would come within the ambit of their scheme. In that framework, where the hospitals and the patients require sterilisation procedures, I hope the facilities will be made available on a broader basis. It is probably available at the moment in more than one hospital but that information is not necessarily filtered back to the Department.
Are there any specific difficulties which the Minister is encountering or foresees in having this service made available generally, or is it simply a question of the allocation of resources?
Generally speaking where doctors indicate that the operation is medically necessary it occurs. I am not aware that there is any major waiting list. There may be a degree of inconvenience and a degree of travelling and limited facilities in certain areas, but I am not aware that there is a major waiting list for sterilisation operations for medical reasons. I am doing my utmost in this field.