A 75-year-old man who died at Monaghan General Hospital on Friday could have been treated 30 miles away in Cavan despite his family being told a suitable bed could not be found, Tánaiste and Minister for Health Mary Harney said today.
Patrick Joseph Walsh from Aghafad, Carrickmacross, died from a bleeding ulcer which required emergency surgery after being admitted the night before.
Attempts to transfer him to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Cavan General Hospital and Dublin's Beaumont Hospital failed because an intensive care bed could not be found.
However, answering Dáil questions this afternoon, Ms Harney said the tragedy "should not have happened" and that an independent review would be carried out by Belfast consultant Declan Carey.
"I have now been informed that there was an intensive care bed vacant in Cavan General Hospital when Mr Walsh needed to be transferred," she said.
"Why that bed wasn't made available will obviously be the subject of this investigation."
Ms Harney said she looked forward to the review, which should be available within eight weeks. "The circumstances surrounding this tragedy require a thorough investigation."
Monaghan TD and hospital campaigner Paudge Connolly claimed that 16 other deaths had occurred since the on-call surgery service was removed from Monaghan General Hospital.
"Its not a case of will there be another life lost, but of when that life will be lost," he said. "The system is dangerous and is costing lives. This death clearly shouldn't have happened.
"The nation is in a state of shock that the health services are in such a state today, that somebody can be brought into a hospital, left on a bed, given blood and left to die. The tragedy is now compounded by the fact that a bed was available."
During Leaders Questions in the
Dáil this afternoon, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern extended his "sincere sympathies" to Mr Walsh's
family. He said he was aware a bed was available for Mr Walsh in Cavan and was hopeful Mr Carey's inquiry would find out why it was not used.
He said the five hospitals in the area "should be able to work together to resolve the issue".
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny accused M r Ahern and Ms Harney of "desperately trying to point the finger at the Health Service Executive" and s aid it was "utterly astonishing" that the Government should continue to wash its hands of political responsibility in the case. He demanded that Monaghan Hospital be put back on call to prevent a repetition of the incident.
Labour leader Par Rabbitte said Mr Walsh's death showed there was an acute crisis in critical aspects of the management of health service. "How can it happen in a civilised country in 2005 that a man can die in the fashion [that Mr Walsh died in]?," he asked.