Fianna Fail TD for Carlow-Kilkenny Bobby Aylward has said that the next Government must end the dangerous gaps in cardiac services in the South East.
Deputy Aylward has raised the matter with the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Health Minister Simon Harris on numerous occasions over the past four years. But despite nine years in government, Fine Gael failed utterly to deliver this much-needed life saving service to the South East.
Deputy Aylward commented, “Previous tragedies have highlighted the critical need for 24/7 cardiac care services in the South East region.
“Regional Cardiac Consultants have campaigned for a 2nd Cat-Lab at University Hospital Waterford alongside 24/7 cardiac facilities for the region. They have warned of the risks associated of allowing the current gap in services to remain. We need to listen to these experts who are working on the frontline of cardiac care. More lives will be lost if we elect a government who continues to bury their heads in the sand.
“University Hospital Waterford serves a population more than half a million people across the South East. The idea that we expect critically ill patients, who have cardiac emergencies outside of the hours 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday, to travel to Cork or Dublin for treatment is simply unacceptable and frankly dangerous.
“Let me be absolutely clear: Heart attacks don’t do 9 to 5. The people of Carlow-Kilkenny and the entire South East deserve 24/7 Cardiac Care. Fianna Fáil has committed to delivering this if elected to government,” concluded Aylward.
