Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 28 Mar 1990

Vol. 397 No. 6

Written Answers. - Treatment of Children.

Joe Sherlock

Ceist:

155 Mr. Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of paediatricians employed by the South-Eastern Health Board; the hospitals in which they are employed; the number of children from County Wexford who were treated at Ardkeen Hospital, Waterford, during 1989; the number of these children who were admitted as emergency cases and referred by Wexford County Hospital or by doctors in County Wexford; and the number of children from County Wexford who were detained at Ardkeen for a period of a week or more.

Minister for Health (Dr. O'Hanlon)

The three paediatricians employed by the South-Eastern Health Board are based in Waterford Regional Hospital, Ardkeen. In 1989, 743 children from County Wexford were treated in the paediatric unit at Waterford Regional Hospital. Seventeen of these children were emergency cases referred by Wexford County Hospital. It is not possible to determine the number of emergency cases which were referred by general practitioners in County Wexford. Of the children referred from County Wexford, 143 were cared for in the paediatric unit for longer than six days.