The family of a woman with a rare blood condition drove her to St James's Hospital in Dublin rather than go to the nearer Galway Regional Hospital, the tribunal heard.
The woman died after a brain haemorrhage and yesterday her sister, under the pseudonym Nuala, gave evidence.
Judge Lindsay described the evidence over the past two weeks as "harrowing" and adjourned the tribunal until June 20th.
Earlier, Nuala said there was a closer haemophiliac centre to them in the Galway hospital than St James's Hospital. Her sister had attended the nearer one when she was younger but the family had no faith in it. The treatment was so different. Her sister never had the belief that they knew how to treat her.
Her sister had bleeds when she was young. Then she started to have cryo-precipitate every two weeks and she led a far more normal life. When her sister was in her 20s, she had surgery due to bleeds in her joints. She was given many products to try and she developed hepatitis C.
In 1991, her liver failed but she rallied. Nuala said her sister became wheelchair-bound. After a brain haemorrhage, she died in St James's Hospital six weeks later. Nuala said they had absolute faith in St James's Hospital. Her sister had great faith in the staff and Prof Ian Temperley. She did not have the same feeling about the Galway hospital.
Mr Conor Maguire SC, for the Western Health Board, said he offered condolences to the family. The family had expressed certain beliefs regarding his clients. He hoped that, when evidence had been given, those views would change.
