Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 28 Apr 1993

Vol. 429 No. 7

Adjournment Debate. - Galway Hospital.

Mr. Connaughton

Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for giving me the opportunity to raise this very important matter. I will preface my remarks by saying I am sorry the Minister for Health is not here, although I have great regard for the Minister present. This is such an unusual matter that I hope the Minister takes it extremely seriously. From what I hear and see the health services are deteriorating at an alarming rate, despite recent assurances by the new Minister for Health that money is being made available and waiting lists are reducing. However, when the House hears my story it will realise there is something terribly wrong in the health service.

There are aspects of the health service that are disgraceful. A few weeks ago part of the ceiling of one of the operating theatres at University College Hospital in Galway, formerly known as the Regional Hospital, collapsed just after a serious operation was performed on a patient — fortunately the patient and the operating staff had left when this happened. I consider that an insult to the patient and also to the surgical team and nurses working there. The roof of the operating theatre became waterlogged, causing it to collapse. I hesitate to think what would have happened had the roof collapsed during the operation. This is a fault that should have been identified sooner.

This is not the only problem in the Western Health Board area that results from underfunding. The CAT scanning machine in this hospital, which is used to identify cancerous growth, broke down a couple of months ago and as the money was not available to repair it patients now have to go to Cork or Dublin for this scan. This is something about which people in the Western Health Board area are very annoyed. In addition, consultants have informed me that the number of cancelled consultations was never higher and that on several occasions patients have to come back for the fifth time for interviews. In other words, nothing is being done for these patients.

I have also been informed that one of the most modern wards in University College Hospital is closed. On a number of occasions in the last couple of weeks people had to wait up to 11 hours in the casualty department for a bed.

An Ceann Comhairle

I must ask the Deputy not to deviate too far from the subject matter of the question I approved of, that is in respect of the ceiling of the operating theatre, a portion of which collapsed.

Mr. Connaughton

All these matters are inter-related.

An Ceann Comhairle

The subject matter is quite clear.

Mr. Connaughton

I would like the Minister to explain why the conditions at this hospital have been allowed deteriorate to such an extent. I am not blaming the Western Health Board which is underfunded and finds it extremely difficult to provide a service in the three counties for which it has responsibility. I ask the Minister to convey to the Minister for Health that we regard this incident as an insult. There is a very good case for extra funding for the Western Health Board. I sincerely hope that what happened in this operating theatre will never happen again in any hospital in the State.

Mr. G. O'Sullivan

I thank Deputy Connaughton for his kind remarks at the outset of his contribution. On behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Brendan Howlin, I would like to thank the Deputy for the opportunity to speak on this matter. The Minister has been in contact with the Western Health Board which is responsible for the management of services at University College Hospital, Galway. The facts of the matter, as reported to him, are as follows.

The operating theatre concerned is housed in a prefabricated single story building and has a flat roof. Following torrential rain on Saturday, 17 April it appears that water lodged on the roof causing some leaks. The health board maintenance staff were immediately notified and attended to the necessary roof repairs on Sunday, 18 April. On Monday, 19 April while the operating theatre was in use a wet patch was noted in the ceiling in a corner of the theatre. When the operating list for the day had been completed the maintenance staff were called and proceeded immediately to repair the ceiling damage which had been caused by an undetected lodgment of rainwater arising from the leaks which had occurred two days earlier.

The Minister for Health has been assured by the health board that contrary to what the Deputy has stated no part of the ceiling collapsed. The theatre concerned is now back in full use.

Mr. Connaughton

The Minister did not get the full story.

Mr. G. O'Sullivan

This is the information I received. In relation to improvements generally at University College Hospital, the Deputy probably will be aware that a joint working party of the Western Health Board and the Department of Health is currently examining the feasibility of a range of capital developments at the hospital to provide improved accommodation for, among other areas, the operating theatre department.

In regard to overall funding for the health services I would like to restate for the Deputy's information that this year under a Labour Minister health spending will increase by 12 per cent representing an increase of £183 million to the highest figure ever of over £1.7 billion.

The Dáil adjourned at 9.20 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 29 April 1993.