The failure of GPs in the Mid-Western Health Board area to train in forensic medicine has resulted in sexual assault victims having to travel to Cork in the aftermath of their attacks, the board's director of public health, Dr Kevin Kelleher, said yesterday.
The forensic examination forms a crucial part of the evidence-gathering exercise when a person has been sexually assaulted.
But garda∅ in Limerick say they cannot now guarantee access to suitably qualified doctors after a rota system broke down in recent years.
"That service is still available but not on a 24-hour basis as there is only one GP available to do that and he naturally cannot be available all the time," Insp John Murphy of Henry Street Garda Station said.
Since October 1st, when a sexual assault unit opened at the South Infirmary Victoria Hospital in Cork, three of the nine admissions have come from Limerick, according to the hospital chief executive, Mr Gerard O'Callaghan.
Dr Kelleher said it was the garda∅'s responsibility to provide a doctor's services to gather evidence in sexual assault cases.
But he was in consultation with the Irish Medical Organisation and the Irish College of General Practitioners to try to get doctors to come forward for specialist training.
"A year ago I contacted all the practitioners in the area seeking them to come forward to train. Nobody came forward."
He added that the number of people who are sexually assaulted in the region did not warrant a dedicated sexual assault unit.
Insp Murphy said critical evidence for criminal prosecutions was in danger of being lost because of the lack of locally-available expertise.
He said untrained GPs were afraid of putting their reputations at stake in a court case.
They could also be involved in a case in Dublin for many weeks.
"They feel their own patients are suffering and that is not unreasonable.
"In the meantime, there is ongoing dialogue between the practitioners at the regional hospital and ourselves to see if there is a way of trying to overcome these difficulties."
Eleven days ago, two Limerick women attacked in unrelated incidents had to both travel to the sexual assault unit at University Hospital Cork.
The first victim, who is in her early 20s, was found at a city centre location in the early hours of Sunday, October 21st.
She alleged she was raped and a file is being prepared for the DPP in relation to that case.
In the second incident, an 18-year-old girl found lying outside Watergate Flats at 5.30 a.m. on the same day also alleged that she was sexually assaulted.
A spokeswoman for the Irish Medical Organisation was unavailable for comment.