Tánaiste acting like Pontius Pilate on Monaghan Hospital death
Sinn Féin Dáil leader and spokesperson on Health and Children, Caoimhghin Ó
Caoláin
has said he is “incredulous” at the attitude of the Tánaiste and
Minister
for Health and Children Mary Harney on the death of Patrick Walsh
in
Monaghan General Hospital. The Tánaiste has stated that ‘regardless of
what
policy operates in any particular hospital there is no excuse for
anybody
dying unnecessarily because they can’t get access to appropriate
medical
care’. Deputy Ó Caoláin, who represents Cavan-Monaghan, responded:
“I
am incredulous that the Tánaiste should make such a statement and treat
the
tragic death of Patrick Walsh in this Pontius Pilate manner. She is
trying
to place the blame on Monaghan General Hospital and its dedicated
staff.
She knows very well that the embargo on acute surgical emergencies
in
Monaghan has nothing to do with hospital policy. It is the policy and
the
diktat of this Government through the Health Service Executive and the
Health
Board before it. That is what ties the hands of the staff at
Monaghan.
“The
HSE has ignored the public appeal by the consultant surgeons at Cavan
and
Monaghan for Monaghan General Hospital to be allowed to go back on call
for
surgical emergencies.
“I tabled a Question to the Tánaiste
for answer on the day the Dáil
returned on 29 September,
asking for her response to the call of the
Cavan-Monaghan
surgeons. The Question was referred by her to the HSE and to
date I
have still not received a reply. This is typical of the downgrading
of
parliamentary accountability on the health services by this Government.
In
the same way they have downgraded services in smaller hospitals, leading
directly
to tragedies like the death of Patrick Walsh.
“At Leaders
Questions in the Dáil today I will be asking the Taoiseach if
he
supports the approach of the Tánaiste and if he will act to restore
life-saving
services to Monaghan.”
Question tabled by Deputy Ó
Caoláin 29 September and response received
* To ask the
Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her
attention
has been drawn to the decision of the seven consultants in the
Joint
Department of Surgery of Cavan and Monaghan Hospitals on 8 September
2005
that Monaghan General Hospital should go back on call for acute
surgical
emergencies; if her further attention has been drawn to the
request
for adequate resources including hiring of theatre nurses in
Monaghan
General Hospital for evening and night duties and meetings with
regional
ambulance control to ensure no delay in the hospital going back
on-call;
if, having familiarised herself with the request and with the
HSE's
response she will reply directly to this Deputy; and if she will make
a
statement on the matter. - Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
The
Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and
personal
social services, which are the responsibility of the Health
Service
Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department
has
requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to
arrange
to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued
directly
to the Deputy.