The north-west is the only region where patients suffering heart attacks can receive life-saving injections from their GPs, according to a report launched yesterday by the Minister of State for Health, Mr Ivor Callely.
The report studied the effectiveness of giving thrombolytic (clot dissolving) drugs to patients living more than 30 miles from Letterkenny General Hospital.
It showed the average waiting time from the initial call to the emergency services to receipt of the life-saving medication was 62 minutes. This is well within the national target of 90 minutes set out in the Cardiovascular Strategy and significantly below the current national average waiting time of 200 minutes.
Clot-busting drugs play a crucial role in reversing the blockages in the arteries of the heart following an acute attack. The sooner the medication is given the greater the benefit. Current practice is for these intravenous drugs to be given by hospital doctors.
Emphasising the importance of the project, Dr Michael Walsh, consultant cardiologist at St James's Hospital and professor of cardiology at TCD said yesterday that "it demonstrates the feasibility of administration of thrombolysis by general practitioners in a rural setting".
Asked about the national implications of the findings, Dr John Dowling, the project director and a GP in Raphoe, Co Donegal said: "We feel that our approach could have significance for other GPs and patients living in a similar rural environment".