This article is from page 8 of the 2006-11-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
THERE has been mixed reaction to the confirmation by the HSE that the Mid Western Regional Hospital Ennis is to get its own CT Scan. The National Hospitals Office approved the purchase of the scanner for the MWRH Ennis, after the Mid-Western Hospital Trust agreed to provide the capital cost.
“The National Hospitals Office will then over the coming weeks agree the revenue costs for the project and will make available from 2007 onwards,” a statement from the HSE said.
Leader of the opposition Enda Kenny (FG) expressed his concern that the scanner on offer was “minimal in capacity.”
During his visit to the county, the Fine Gael leader said the scanner would be “out of action” in three to five years time. “It seems like a false economy,” he added.
Senator Timmy Dooley (FF) said he was not prepared to accept the delay in sanctioning the purchase of the six-slice CT scanner when the money was already available from the MidWest Hospitals Trust.
“The absence of a CT scanner has a negative effect. Only very urgent cases at Ennis Hospital are considered for CT scanning,” he said.
“These patients must be transferred to Limerick by ambulance and, in some cases, be accompanied by a consultant anaesthetist.
“It is estimated that 3,000 scans per annum are required at Ennis Hospital,” he added. “Until now, however, only approximately 1,000 patients receive a scan by transferring to Limerick.”