There may be a "difficulty" in filling all vacancies for anaesthetists from the end of this month, the Minister for Health and Children admitted yesterday. There may also be a shortage of junior doctors to work in psychiatry.
But Mr Martin said that of the 3,000 non-consultant hospital doctor posts to be filled by July 1st, only 142 were still vacant.
The Irish Hospital Consultants' Association said a shortage of anaesthetists meant elective surgery would have to be postponed and acute surgery would come under pressure.
The Minister hinted yesterday that he was unhappy with the efforts made by some health boards to recruit doctors from abroad. "We suggested to health boards six weeks ago that they should engage in recruitment in Germany etc," he said. "One would like more pro-activity in some regions."
With both the Irish Nurses' Organisation and the IHCA complaining of manpower shortages, the Minister said the health boards were working "flat out" to fill vacancies which will arise when contracts change on July 1st.
He said he hoped the latest offer to junior doctors would encourage more of them to stay in this State, and others to come here from abroad.
On nursing, he said there had been a "dramatic" increase in the number of nurses coming into the State and a record number of applications for college places on nursing courses.
"In some specialities there might still be difficulties," he said. Asked what these were, he said they were in anaesthesia and psychiatry.
The IHCA's secretary-general, Mr Finbarr Fitzpatrick, yesterday repeated his call for a change in legislation to allow foreign doctors whose maximum five years of temporary registration with the Medical Council was up to stay for a further two years. Mr Martin said the Medical Council was an independent statutory body "and the IHCA knows that".
However, Mr Fitzpatrick said it was in the Government's power to change the legislation to deal with the manpower crisis.
As part of his strategy to cut waiting lists, the Minister has asked hospitals to keep their wards open throughout the summer. But Mr Fitzpatrick said the first effect of a shortage of anaesthetists would be the postponement of elective surgery.
pomorain@irish-times.ie