Vol. 396 No. 5
10 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Health if he has any plans to provide money for the establishment of a kidney dialysis unit in the North Eastern Health Board area; if he is satisfied with the present provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The question of the establishment of a satellite renal dialysis unit is a matter for the North-Eastern Health Board in the first instance. I understand from the board that this issue is under consideration at present.
Does the Minister accept that there are a substantial number of people travelling from his constituency to Dublin for dialysis on a regular basis? Does the Minister not agree that this is crowding the system in Dublin?
Yes. I agree that at the moment there are 21 people from the Cavan-Monaghan area travelling to Beaumont for dialysis. While the North Eastern Health Board are considering the establishment of such a unit in Cavan, it depends on having suitable staffing available in Cavan. The first post that needs to be filled is the post of physician. That post has been approved. We will be in touch with the North Eastern Health Board about this.
My policy is that dialysis units should be available where they can be sustained on medical grounds, as it is very important that patients should have a quality service. If we are to take the service out to the hospitals in the country we want to ensure that it is a quality service that will be available to patients. That depends on a number of factors. Funding is not really a major issue because the service has to be provided somewhere. The Deputy is right in that if all the patients were congregating in Beaumont that hospital would probably not be able to deal with them. A number of such satellite units have been established around the country over the last few years.
Is the Minister confident that the problem in the North Eastern Health Board will be resolved shortly?
It is not that simple. The problem is that until I can guarantee a quality service I cannot commit myself to establishing a service. That depends on a number of factors including the filling of the physician post in Cavan.
