At the end of July 1991 Deirdre Brosnan, an 11-year old girl from Glenamaddy, County Galway, and her parents, were told to go home from Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, on the absolute understanding that they would be contacted by the hospital authorities a few days later with a view to getting special laser treatment organised for her in the United Kingdom.
The girl previously underwent an operation to remove a tumour from her spine. However, the medical opinion in Beaumont was that she should have laser treatment. Her parents were informed that this would have to take place in the United Kingdom. The House will appreciate the trauma this family were going through.
Deirdre made good progress after the initial operation but seemed to be deteriorating during the early part of this past summer. When she was in Beaumont both her parents and her sister, who gave up her job to look after her, were constantly at her bedside. The family are very small farmers and live in a council house recently provided by Galway County Council. The thought of having to send their daughter to a hospital in the United Kingdom was quite a shock as this family considered Dublin to be a long distance, never mind the United Kingdom. However, they decided that their daughter's health was of paramount importance and they got their bags packed the next morning.
The call did not come. August passed as did September and still no word from Beaumont. This was not the fault of the Brosnan family. They spent a great deal of money they did not have on phone calls to the hospital but never got a real answer. They enlisted the help of no less than three medics, including a consultant, some of whom spent endless hours on the phone to Beaumont Hospital to try to find out what was happening.
The month of October came and the Brosnan family were literally out of their minds. Their precious daughter was deteriorating in front of their eyes and seemingly nobody could help. The family in desperation asked me to do what I could. I immediatley rang the office of the Minister for Health and I must say his staff were very accommodating. A few days later the hospital did make contact with the family. Deirdre Brosnan was admitted to Beaumont the following week and she is now in hospital in Nottingham in England.
I thank the Minister for his intervention and I thank the media, both local and national, who carried the story but many questions needed answering. How could any health service be so uncaring? Who was responsible for this inhuman act? Will any action be taken against the people who caused so much hardship to this family? Will the ten weeks delay have a profound effect on Deirdre Brosnan's health? Will the Minister investigate the matter in the context of ensuring that this is never allowed to happen to another family?
There is a final aspect to this tragic story. It became apparent a few weeks ago that this laser treatment was available at the Mater Private in Dublin. However, because the Brosnans were medical card holders it was deemed by the hospital and the health board that Deirdre would have to go to Nottingham. Surely in the circumstances something could have been done to have the operation carried out in Dublin, considering the sad exprience the Brosnans were put through.
There is something terribly wrong in regard to this case. I sincerely hope that the treatment the child is receiving has not come too late. I should appreciate an answer from the Minister to the questions I have raised.
