Deputy Pearse Doherty has called on the both the HSE and the Minister to re-instate X-ray services at Donegal Community Hospital without delay.
The facilities, which have not been operational since early September due to equipment failure, have yet to be repaired as the hospital is currently awaiting the order of a machine component.
Deputy Doherty, who has raised the disruption with the Minister in the Dáil, is calling on the authorities to restore the service without further delay.
Deputy Doherty said “Last month I was contacted by constituents in South Donegal over concerns that the X-ray Department at Donegal Community Hospital was no longer accepting patients due to problems with the hospital’s x-ray equipment.
“Engineers were called to inspect the equipment, which had previously broken down just a few weeks previous when inspectors then discovered that the digitizer was not working properly.
“While the facility re-opened shortly after this, the X-ray Department was forced to suspend the service once again in September and engineers confirmed that the digitizer was not repairable and needed to be replaced.
“The service in Donegal Town had to cease and patients have been forced to travel to Killybegs Community Hospital since 7th September in order to have x-rays carried out.
“However, due to the annual leave of staff at Killybegs hospital’s X-ray Department, the facility there too has also been forced to suspend x-ray services for patients, and the service is not expected to re-open until next week.
“I have raised this matter with the Minister in the Dáil and the HSE has confirmed to me that it is in the process of purchasing a new digitizer for Donegal Community Hospital which, when received, will need to be installed in order to resume radiography services at the hospital for patients.
“While I appreciate that the executive is making efforts to have the service restored, it is now vital that the X-ray Department at Donegal Community Hospital is re-opened without any further delay as patients should not be inconvenienced like this when requiring access to vital services such as this.”