The resignation of a senior consultant paediatrician in Cork, who treated 2,000 children with severe disabilities every year, has led to protests from parents of children with special needs.
Dr David Coghlan has decided to step down from his post at the Mercy Hospital, Cork, citing frustration at the lack of necessary funding to provide vital services. He is expected to take up a post in Dublin.
Health authorities in the south said yesterday they would seek immediate approval for a replacement position.
Tessa Woods, from Ballincollig, Co Cork, mother of 10- year-old Darren, who is severely physically and mentally handicapped, said yesterday that she was "heartbroken" following the resignation of her son's paediatrician.
"I can understand his frustration but he is a huge loss. People like Dr Coghlan are so dedicated to their work. But it just comes down to a lack of resources. Because Dr Coghlan was there, I didn't have to travel to several different areas to get a service for Darren," Ms Woods said.
"Now I don't know what will happen."
Dr Coghlan started working in the Mercy hospital three years ago, providing services for children with cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, Down syndrome and general developmental delays.
Dr Coghlan said he resigned because his job became "untenable" after the Health Service Executive (Southern Area) failed to allocate the funding required to provide vital treatment for children with disabilities.
He said the waiting lists for special treatments such as to see psychologists, speech and language therapists and physiotherapists were too long in the Southern Area.
"I would see the children and there was often a delay of three to six months. Following seeing me, I would recommend a course of therapy and they would go on to another waiting list, which could take six months or a year or in some parts of the region up to two years. Because I would see the children first, I felt I had a duty of care to them.
"I took on a lot of responsibility in terms of getting a therapist but I had very little power in providing those therapists," Dr Coghlan said.
Meanwhile, the HSE Southern Area said yesterday it was committed to the development of paediatric services in the region and would deliver an action plan later this month.