“A HSE Parliamentary Question put down by Fine Gael Health Spokesperson, Dr. James Reilly, confirmed to me that there is currently no public MRI scanner available in Cork. It beggars belief that a principal city, with a population the size of Cork’s, does not have public access to such equipment and that hospital patients are being forced to have MRI scans carried out in private clinics.
“At present MRI scan services for city and county hospitals within the Southern Hospitals Group are provided at the Mercy University Hospital, where the service is supplied by an external company separate to MUH, and Cork University Hospital, who have a service arrangement in place with a private consortium.
“The Hospital Network Manager of HSE South has said that the demand for MRI scans in the region has grown substantially in recent years and that, in light of the growing demand for this service, management at CUH has compiled a business case for a publicly funded MRI scanner for the hospital.
“I have written to the HSE National Hospital’s Office supporting the application for an MRI scanner for Cork, a move which has been wholly endorsed by Dr. James Reilly.
“The situation, as it currently stands, simply cannot be allowed to continue. I would like to know what steps FF Government Ministers and TDs from Cork have taken to address this issue. MRI scans are used to detect serious medical conditions such as brain aneurysms and tumours. Patients dealing with such issues should have everything possible done to make their circumstances easier, not forced into private clinics due to poorly resourced facilities.”
Ends
Note: For a copy of the HSE reply to Deputy James Reilly’s Parliamentary Question put down on behalf of Senator Buttimer, please contact Deborah Sweeney in the Fine Gael Press Office.