asked the Minister for Health if he will approve the appointment of a second consultant surgeon, physician and anaesthetist at the county hospital, Roscommon; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Roscommon County Hospital Medical Appointments.
18.
A request for approval to the appointment of a second consultant surgeon, a second consultant physician and a second consultant anaesthetist at the county hospital Roscommon has recently been received by me from the Western Health Board. The board are also seeking funds to meet the cost of any such additional appointments.
I will make my decision in the matters known to the health board in the very near future when I have had an opportunity of considering the requests in detail.
In relation to the consultant surgeon appointment, I will be taking account of a recent report of Comhairle na nOspidéal following a full examination of the surgical requirements of the Western Health Board area. In that report, comhairle, which have the statutory functions to regulate the number and type of appointments of consultant medical staff in health services hospitals, have concluded that consultant surgical services at in-patient level should be discontinued at the county hospital, Roscommon, and that alternative arrangements should be made to accommodate the surgical work currently performed at that hospital.