The Department of Health has come under fire in the past few days after a man in the South East died whilst en-route Cork University Hospital after he suffered a heart attack in Dunmore East Coast Waterford.
The man’s death which has drawn national attention comes after reports found that the man who drove himself to Waterford Hospital was subsequently transferred to Cork as there were no emergency cardiac services in the region.
This latest tragedy has now led to the HSE and the Department of Health to conduct a review of the services at Waterford Hospital especially given the fact that local TD John Halligan lobbied to deliver a second cardiac unit to the facility but was unsuccessful.
Speaking about the tragic incident the Minister for Health Simon Harris said he will that he will conduct a review into cath labs in the South East.
Minister Harris said: “I commissioned an independent clinical review in relation to the cath lab situation in Waterford.”
“I followed the recommendations in full, in terms of the allocation of additional resources, and I’m now putting in place a mobile cath lab.”
“As Minister, I’ll always stand by clinical recommendations. I am open, though, after the improvements that Professor Herity has made, of taking course to have a further review on the issue.”