Madam, - I read with some alarm your report (August 20th) that the HSE is to close the laboratories in more than two dozen hospitals. The reason for my alarm is that the HSE is allegedly engaged in preventing hospital-acquired infections. One of the tools used to great effect in other countries is rapid detection of the presence of infections.
These tests are capable of giving results in a matter of hours rather than days, which is the case with conventional tests, and are undergoing validation at the moment in Trinity College. Rapid testing means that infected patients can be isolated, and just as importantly, treated without delay. International research shows that the sooner treatment can be started, the better the outcome for the patient. Rapid detection will not work effectively for hospitals which do not have testing facilities on site.
We know that hospital-acquired infections are costing the HSE millions of euro every year in prolonged treatment, so the savings in one area may be lost in another. Even if money were not to be saved, the prolongation of the human suffering and loss of life resulting from hospital acquired-infections cannot be justified. - Yours, etc,
Dr TERESA GRAHAM, MRSA and Families, Tramore, Co Waterford.
Madam, - As a chief medical scientist formerly responsible for managing a hospital laboratory, I presented a business plan whereby with minimum initial investment we would save €300,000 a year by doing tests in our laboratory that were being sent to an external source.
It took constant follow-up before four years later the proposal was finally implemented. This was one of the reasons I subsequently resigned my management position.
The shortcomings in our laboratory services primarily result from the refusal on the part of the HSE to provide adequate resources.
Many laboratory managers are being ignored as their arguments are lost in passing through multiple mismanagement layers within the HSE.
Due to lack of resources many tests are already being referred to private laboratories at huge expense.
Hospital laboratories could perform these tests for a fraction of the cost and with considerably reduced turnaround time if adequate resources were allocated.
The solutions to our shortcomings lie within current services. Privatisation is not an answer. - Yours, etc,
ROBBIE ROBINSON, Deerpark, Ashbourne, Co Meath.