A plan to provide a radiotherapy service for cancer patients in the mid-west through a public/private partnership has been unveiled by hospital consultants in Limerick, writes Eithne Donnellan.
It envisages a partnership between the Mid-Western Health Board, the Mater Private Hospital and the Mid-Western Hospitals Development Trust, a charitable fundraising body.
The plan suggests a radiotherapy unit funded and equipped by the Development Trust on the site of the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick, with the unit being run and funded by the Mater Private Hospital.
Mr Gerry Kearns, a spokesperson for the consultants, said the only cost to the health board would be in respect of services for public patients, which it estimated to be in the region of approximately €1.5 million per year.
"The current arrangements are entirely unsatisfactory and create hardship for patients who have to wait for several weeks to access treatment, travel long journeys for treatment in Dublin or Cork when it becomes available and often have to remain away from home while undergoing treatment. This has led to a situation where there is a very low level of uptake," he added.
Mr Kearns said if the plan is approved, the new unit could be up and running within two years.
Ferris travels to ANC conference
Sinn Féin Kerry North TD, Mr Martin Ferris, travelled to South Africa yesterday to attend the 51st annual conference of the African National Congress outside Cape Town.
Speaking prior to leaving, Mr Ferris paid tribute to the ANC and to the South African government for the support that they have given the Northern Ireland talks.
Besides attending the conference in Stellenbosch in the Western Cape, Mr Ferris and the editor of An Phoblacht, Mr Martin Spain, will meet members of the South African government.
"The success of the South African process has served as an example for liberation movements across the world. The South Africans proved that a negotiated settlement can be achieved even in circumstances that at times appear insurmountable," he declared.
New book on conserving bogs
Conflicts between conservationists and commercial interests over the use of bogs in Ireland can be resolved, according to the authors of a new book launched yesterday by the Minister for Communications, Mr Ahern.
The Wise Use of Mires and Peatlands is the result of a ground-breaking dialogue between peat producers and the environmental protection movement, as represented by the International Peat Society and the International Mire Conservation Group.
The book is based on contributions from some 50 experts, co-ordinated by Dr Hans Joosten, of the IMCG, and Mr Donal Clarke of the IPS. Dr Joosten is an assistant professor in Greifswald University in Germany and Mr Clarke is Bord na Móna's head of corporate affairs.
"Wise Use" is a term taken from the documents of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. It is intended to convey the idea that there can be a reasonable approach to choosing between using peatlands to meet people's needs and conserving them for their ecological value.