New figures released to Laois-Offaly TD Seán Fleming have shown the scale of the crisis in ophthalmology across the country.
The most common ophthalmology procedures which are carried out routinely relate to cataracts and glaucoma as well as macular degeneration, diabetic and cancer related treatment.
The information provided to Deputy Fleming shows that there are currently 51,223 people waiting on both outpatient and in-patient day case waiting lists for ophthalmology treatment. 37% of these people, 19,059, have been on a waiting list for more than one year.
Deputy Fleming said, “These are people whose eyesight is deteriorating every day that passes. These procedures are considered routine and the fact that people are being forced to wait more than a year to have them is likely having a detrimental impact on their outcome.
“Before the COVID-19 outbreak people were forced to choose between paying thousands of euro privately for a procedure or go outside the state, or to wait indefinitely.
“Since the pandemic began these options are no longer open to them as no elective surgeries are taking place.
“The Chief Medical Officer and the HSE have said that they envisage fewer surgeries and procedures being carried out in the future as hospitals will have to work at a reduced capacity with stricter hygiene protocols. So, what is going to happen to the 51,223 people currently on the waiting list?
“Now that the opticians have reopened there is going to be a surge in the number of new referrals and the waiting list is obviously going to increase dramatically. I am calling on the Minister to put special arrangements in place to deal with this backlog,” concluded Deputy Fleming.
