The Cardiology Unit at Letterkenny University Hospital is set to reopen on Monday following a five-month delay.
The unit has not been operational since May when a piece of crucial equipment suffered a breakdown and had not been replaced until recently.
In May, 160 out-patients were on the waiting list when the Telemetry monitoring equipment broke down. Since then, all outpatient services have been suspended, and with an ever-growing waiting lift for Cardiac Rehab – the situation has festered.
Pressure has been put on staff since the removal of the Community Cardiac Rehab Service in 2010, which covered the towns of Dungloe and Ballyliffen. After further staff cuts in 2011, more pressure was added to HSE staff.
The Irish Cardiac Rehab Guideline state that following heart procedures, operations or a heart attack, that Cardiac Rehab must be made available on at least twice a week basis in order to underpin a full and lasting recovery. It is medically proven that those who avail of cardiac rehab have a 30% less likely chance of being readmitted with cardio trouble in subsequent years.
Prior to the cardiac monitor breaking down over 40 patients were being seen on a weekly basis by the rehab unit and the true scandal in relation to this service being suspended is that a budget of circa €50,000 was all that was required to solve the problem. It took 5 months and one Dáil motion in order to solve this problem.
Leas-Cheann Comhairle Pat the Cope Gallagher TD says that the sitation since the breakdown has been “unbelievable.”
“Donegal patients are being offered a sub-standard service and one which would not be tolerated anywhere else.”
Pat the Cope praised the staff for their incredible work despite difficulties faced due to short staffing and constraints on equipment.
With one-third of deaths in Ireland being cardiovascular, it is therefore imperative that the HSE, Department of Health, and Minister Harris continue to invest in Cardiac Rehab services, says Gallagher.
“The reopening of the Cardiac Rehab Services is a welcome first step, it is regrettable that it took five months in order to repair the necessary equipment; this seems to be an extremely lengthy delay and one which should have been avoided.
“I propose that in future the HSE should have in place protocols for the speedy replacement of essential equipment in Hospitals rather than the situation which we have just witnessed whereby we had to wait 5 months to get equipment operational again, such was the case in the cardiac rehab unit in Letterkenny.
“I am also calling on the Minister for Health to reinstate the staffing levels to its full complement and that the required service levels of rehabilitation as per the Irish Association of Cardiac Rehab are afforded to every patient using the unit in Letterkenny and that community cardiac services be restored as a priority.
“I expect that the HSE will now give the necessary supports and funding for this most critical service at Letterkenny University Hospital so that the people of Donegal are no longer disadvantaged due to their location,” concluded Pat the Cope.
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