Vol. 494 No. 6
66 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are a number of patients in need of dialysis treatment from the Waterford region who still must travel to Dublin for treatment despite the availability and capacity for the service at Waterford Regional Hospital which cannot be used because of insufficient funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18947/98]
The provision of renal dialysis at Waterford Regional Hospital is a matter for the South-Eastern Health Board in the first instance. A new dialysis unit was opened there in March 1977, catering for 32 patients per week as part of the major capital development at the hospital. Additional funding of £100,000 was subsequently provided in May 1977 to enable the hospital to provide a service to further patients that required dialysis as demand for the service grew. Total additional funding of £200,000 has been provided in this year's allocation to the South-Eastern Health Board to meet the full year cost of this enhanced service. As a result, a total of 42 patients are now attending the unit each week.
The board has requested additional funding towards the cost of further developing their renal dialysis service to meet a continuing increase in demand for the service. This will be considered by my Department in consultation with the South-Eastern Health Board in the context of the board's own identified priorities for service developments and the overall availability of resources in 1999.
