This article is from page 3 of the 2006-06-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 3 JPG
OVERCROWDING at Ennis General Hospital, as well as lengthy waiting lists at the National Rehabilitation Unit, is causing unnecessary distress for Clare families.
That’s the view of Clare Fine Gael TD Pat Breen (FG) who is lobbying for a Sixmilebridge mother-of-four who has just suffered a stroke to remain at Ennis General Hospital until a place becomes available at the National Rehabilitation Unit.
A sister of the woman said that moves by the Ennis hospital authorities to have her removed and cared for elsewhere had only added to her family’s distress.
Deputy Breen said the case highlighted the continuing overcrowding at Ennis General and the very long waiting lists at the National Rehabilitation Unit in Dun Laoighoire.
The 45-year-old mother was recently diagnosed with an aneurism of the brain and after surgery at Cork University Hospital, suffered a seizure and then a stroke.
In the last week of May, the woman was returned to Ennis Hospital to await a vacancy in the rehabilitation unit where there is currently a fourmonth waiting list.
The woman is now paralyzed down her right-hand side, is confused most of the time and has severe speech impairment.
Her sister told The Clare People, “She is a lone parent of 15 years and has six children from 27 to 15 and has no income whatsoever.
“She reared her family on her own and has always been an outstanding person.
“Her employer does not pay ‘sick pay’.
“There is no alternative but that she be cared for at Ennis General until a place in Dublin becomes available. Ennis General would prefer that she be transferred to a nursing home, where the family would be expected to pay the bill, but we are not in a position to do so.
“This case only serves to highlight the dire straits that our health service is in.
“The care for my sister from frontline staff has been second to none.
“However, the attitude of management has been very unhelpful and, only for the intervention of Pat Breen and Cllr John Crowe, I don’t know how we would have coped.”
Deputy Breen said that the Health Service Executive (HSE) is avoiding answering questions in cases like this, on the grounds that they cannot directly answer queries due to patient confidentiality.
“The bottom line is that there are not enough beds at Ennis General, adding to untold distress for families.”