Equipment which can improve women's chances of surviving breast cancer by detecting the disease earlier has been lying idle at Cavan General Hospital since 1997.
The screening equipment was bought by the Friends of Cavan Hospital. It has never been used because the North Eastern Health Board has been awaiting decisions at national level to reorganise breast cancer services.
About 650 women die from breast cancer in Ireland every year. The survival rate is below that in the United States and the difference has been attributed to more extensive screening programmes in the US.
Screening facilities in this State have been relatively scarce. While a mobile National Breast Screening Programme has begun, it will take well over a year to cover the entire country.
The mammography equipment bought by Friends of Cavan Hospital for £75,000 in 1997 review of cancer services.
Questioned recently on the issue by Deputy Bernard Allen of Fine Gael, the Minister for Health and Children, Mr Martin, said: "The Deputy will be aware that there was a review of the services for symptomatic breast disease carried out by a subgroup of the National Cancer Forum and I have received their report." Mr Martin said he accepted the broad thrust of the report's recommendations but "I feel further refinements are needed in relation to the implementation arrangements at local level".
Having already had the matter considered by a subgroup of a forum he has now appointed an "advisory group" to liaise with health boards in formulating plans for developing specialist breast cancer services.
Meanwhile, equipment which could help save lives remains unused.
This winter is likely to see increasing numbers of public patients in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow sent to private hospitals for non-urgent surgery at the expense of their local health boards. The Eastern Regional Health Authority said yesterday it is in discussions with private hospitals "to determine their capacity to facilitate patients in the region who are waiting for surgical procedures to be carried out".
The National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, Dublin, is expected to resume elective gynaecological surgery next month. The hospital had cancelled non-urgent surgery for September and October because of a shortage of midwives. It has since recruited nurses in Australia and India and hopes to retain a number of pupil midwives who are due to qualify in the coming weeks.
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Hospital Watch special: http://www.ireland.com/special/hospital