Peadar Clohessy
Ceist:186 Mr. Clohessy asked the Minister for Health if the CAT scan operating in the Regional Hospital, Limerick, will be made available to accident patients at weekends.
Written Answers. - Availability of CAT Scan.
The provision of CAT scanning at Limerick Regional Hospital is a matter for the Mid-Western Health Board in the first instance. The position is that the CAT scanner came into operation in April 1989 and a training programme for the staff of the radiology department in the use of this equipment is still in progress. Until this programme is completed and all the radiographers are fully trained in the operation of the equipment some limitation in the service will be necessary. In the circumstances it is only possible at present to provide scanning from Monday to Friday during normal working hours.
I would like to assure the Deputy, however, that when the training programme is completed a full on-call emergency service (including weekends) will be made available to patients at Limerick Regional Hospital.