Health services in Mayo are on the brink of collapse because of the lack of adequate x-ray facilities at Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar, it was claimed last night.
Despite assurances the situation has been eased by the provision of temporary equipment at the hospital, the situation has gone from bad to worse, according to Independent TD Dr Jerry Cowley who has approached the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, on the matter.
Dr Cowley said: "This is a real crisis. Patients' health is at risk and all because of poor planning and economic mismanagement by the Department of Health.
"Either the Minister is not aware of the situation or he is adopting an ostrich-like head-in- the-sand approach," said Dr Cowley.
Dr Cowley said several vital x-ray functions are not available in County Mayo including barium meal examinations; barium enema examinations; kidney x-ray examinations and post-pacemaker screening examinations; and retrograde cannulation of pancreas examinations.
He added: "Essential work in the Mayo General Hospital and people's health are being seriously jeopardised due to delays in the diagnosis of all types of illness, particularly bowel and kidney cancers. The life expectancy of Mayo patients is adversely affected, and all because the Department of Health will not provide the €450,000 needed to replace outdated and non-functioning equipment."
Dr Cowley said the winter vomiting bug was now in the University College Hospital in Galway and it would spread to Castlebar because of people having to visit the Galway hospital for x-rays.
There was also the danger that the emergency services in the county could collapse because an ambulance service, already under strain because of lack of vehicles and personnel, would be stretched to breaking point conveying patients to Galway for x-rays.
Dr Cowley has called on the Minister to immediately release the necessary funding to avert a crisis in Mayo. He also called on other TDs in the county to support his demand for action from the Minister.