Sir, - The recent Dail question and reply ( The Irish Times, February 15th) on waiting lists for heart surgery in Our Lady's Children's Hospital, made alarming reading.
Although the Minister reported 96 public patients awaiting surgery, the actual number waiting, including public and private patients, is closer to 120. It is curious why the Minister included only the "public" figures.
Judging from the Minister's response on RTE radio, it seems to be an acceptable ministerial mantra to explain away long waiting lists by referring to statistics which show that more patients have been treated this year than before. This shows a blatant disregard for those still waiting and for the parents of children awaiting surgery. Perhaps the Minister needs reminding that the number is still increasing, regardless of his heartless statistics.
The promise of more funds for this area also camouflages the real issue. Allocating £700,000 to build more theatres and to employ more surgeons (which can take years) does not solve the issue for those already waiting now. It is also a fact that by the time these things happen the waiting lists will have increased further. So, five years from now, the Minister may once again be proud of the increase in numbers who have undergone surgery but not mention the increase in the number of those who are waiting, sometimes up to two years.
Neither did the Minister acknowledge in his Dail answer that a real problem is the inability of Crumlin Hospital to employ sufficient numbers of specialised nurses for the intensive care unit. As a result of these difficulties scheduled surgery has had to be cancelled, in order that emergency cases can be dealt with.
Does the Minister have any conception what it is like for parents and young children, having waited sometimes up to two years, to be told on the morning of their open-heart operation that the procedure has been cancelled? One nine-year-old remarked recently, when told his operation had been cancelled for the second time: "This is not fair". Neither is it fair on the parents, doctors and the nurses. It seems that nine-year-old children speak a truth which some politicians cannot or do not want to recognise.
The Minister may think it a boon that £1/2 million pounds will be spent this year in sending some of our children to England for surgery. In my opinion, it is nothing short of scandalous that Ireland, with its reputation for children's healthcare and at a time of economic boom, ends up exporting its sick children in such manner. - Yours, etc.,
Terence R. Malone, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath.