Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 28 Nov 1990

Vol. 403 No. 2

Written Answers. - Hospital Casualty Departments.

Gay Mitchell

Ceist:

115 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5 who attended the casualty department of a Dublin hospital was five hours waiting to have a tetanus injection, following an accident; the reason for the delay in view of the impression given by him that there are no longer problems at hospital casualty departments.

Minister for Health (Dr. O'Hanlon)

Normally a tetanus injection would be provided by the patient's family doctor. The person in question, who had not been referred by a general practitioner, arrived at the hospital at 6.20 p.m. On arrival the condition of the person in question was assessed as non-urgent. Other patients who had been assessed as medically urgent received priority. The person in question was attended to at 10.30 p.m.