A NEW podiatry clinic opened in the west aims to become an internationally recognised centre for podiatry care, education and research as well as providing specialised services to clients all over the country.
The clinic, located on the grounds of Merlin Park University Hospital in Galway, is the only one of its kind in Ireland and will offer podiatry services as well as providing clinical placements for students studying the BSc programme in podiatry at NUI Galway, the only podiatry degree course in the country.
Podiatry is a healthcare profession that specialises in the management of diseases and disorders of the lower limb and foot.
Podiatry care involves the management of patients with diseases (such as diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis) that can compromise the viability of the lower foot and lower limbs, and the mechanical correction of gait and posture.
David Watterson, manager of the podiatry clinic, said: “In addition to treating clients, we are training student podiatrists to assess, diagnose and treat diseases and abnormalities of the lower limb and foot in order to cure or prevent recurrence of the person’s foot problems.
“Podiatry care can make a big difference to people’s mobility and therefore to their quality of life – not just for older people but for those with illnesses such as diabetes, and following sports injuries and surgery.”
Ireland currently has a low level of trained podiatrists and the hope is that graduates of the Galway course will find employment within HSE services around the country.
The podiatry clinic in Galway will maintain 7,000 clients at any one time with up to 25,000 appointments in a year.
The majority of clients will be people with chronic and long-term illnesses such as diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
