In view of the serious concern and fear being shown and expressed by parents in Cork city and county, I take this opportunity on the Adjournment to request the Minister for Health to intervene immediately in the present outbreak of meningitis which is affecting children in the Cork area.
Some commentators have indicated there is no crisis but I use the word "crisis" advisedly because it is a crisis for every child who contracts meningitis. A recent report by the Southern Health Board states that 15 cases have been identified in the past month. Nine cases were identified in the Blarney area and this necessitated the closure of schools in the area. Another five cases have been identified in the city and a report no later than this evening states that two children are seriously ill with meningitis in hospital. The report states that while 15 cases have been identified there have been no deaths as yet.
The present situation is completely unacceptable. Do we have to wait until a child dies before urgent action is taken? While some schools have closed in the Blarney area, the health board admit they are finding it difficult to get information across to parents due to the current RTE dispute.
I have no wish to cause unnecessary anxiety for parents but I know that the local radio station and the local press in Cork are being beseiged by anxious parents seeking information and being critical of the Southern Health Board for the way they are handling the present situation.
It is also very serious when one takes into consideration the bed complement in Cork city. Cork Regional Hospital advertised recently in the local press that they would be only taking in emergency cases due to the health cutbacks. The South Infirmary Victoria Hospital and the Mercy Hospital are in the same position with long waiting lists. I shudder to think what the situation would be if meningitis became rampant throughout the city and county. At present it is practically impossible to get an elderly person admitted to hospital. With no let-up in the cutbacks in health since 1987, and with medical and nursing staff stretched to breaking point trying to provide the necessary services, a burden such as a major epidemic would make it impossible for staff to cope with additional admissions.
As the Minister knows, meningitis is a lethal disease that can cause death or brain damage. It is only natural that parents are seriously concerned with the situation. While the 15 cases identified so far may not be a great number at this time, it is also a fact that this is a highly contagious disease which can be passed on very quickly from one child to another. And 15 cases at present are 15 cases too many.
The disease can also cause complications such as temporary blindness, and deafness, which may become permanent. It is also a fact that loss of hearing in small children may result in their becoming deaf mutes.
I believe that the situation in Cork city and county needs immediate ministerial intervention so that appropriate action can be taken by the health board. If that action necessitates the closure of all schools in the area as a preventative measure, so be it.
But what is also urgently needed now, Minister, is that the fears and concerns of the parents are put at rest and assurances given that all measures will be taken to curb this serious outbreak of meningitis.