Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I have listened to the debate since last night and clearly Deputy McManus has her finger on the pulse. The reaction to the debate has been significant. The reaction from the Government is even more significant. It is like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. As happened with regard to the child care issue during the last by-election, the Government did not know there was a problem until it met the people.

I will speak about the constituency of Cork city which I and the Labour Party represent. Hopefully, we will have increased representation after the next election. There are many problems with the health service in Cork city but I will deal with three. I received a letter recently from a consultant to whom I had written about an elderly gentleman who needed a hip replacement. I will not mention further details. The letter states:

It is with great regret that I have to say that the number of Orthopaedic Surgeons and staff at this hospital is the same as it was when I was an SHO. There are no immediate plans for any increase in surgeons or operating space to deal with the unacceptable waiting times.

The only plan articulated in the last few months was a referral of 300 (out of 3,000) on a waiting list to the NTPF.

I think that any specialist grouping that has looked at the situation in Cork would recommend a ratio of 1 per 30,000 which would lead to a total number of 15 Orthopaedic Surgeons to deal with Cork patients. As long ago as 1994 Comhairle recommended the immediate appointment of 2 surgeons to bring the complement to 8.

Regrettably I can see no immediate end in sight, however I think that representation should be made to the HSE that a ratio of 1 surgeon per 100,000 is unacceptable in this day and age and that the immediate appointment of additional surgeons and theatre space to operate on them is immediately required to deal with this problem.

There is a waiting list of four years to get an appointment to see the surgeon. That is the situation for people who cannot pay and who are in chronic and severe pain. If the Government Deputies continue to tell us that we have an excellent health service, they should read that letter.

Cork also emerges poorly in reports with regard to type 1 diabetes. Approximately 200 children are being treated for the condition in CUH. Until recently, there was a part-time nurse, part-time consultant, part-time dietician and part-time psychological service. There are now two nurses, one of whom is being paid for by the private sector. Although this is a great advance that is gratefully accepted by the parents involved, is this the road we should take? Not only will there be private hospitals, but medical staff will be put into our hospitals by private companies. Their only job will be to monitor how their particular drug is doing.

It is outrageous that parents with children as young as 18 months who are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are being sent home with a syringe and an orange and told to practise with them. That is not good enough. The outcome for children in the Cork area is not good and is worse than the outcome for children in the Dublin area. However, this Minister for Health and Children does not believe that anybody outside the Pale deserves a health service.

Cork city was promised a new blood transfusion service building to serve the south. It must be ten years ago or longer since that promise was made. Since then there have been two international reports on the issue and a fiasco in the blood transfusion service. Only for the good work of a doctor in Cork that problem would not have been recognised. The nurses in the blood transfusion service in Cork are still operating out of a building where buckets are used to catch the rain leaking through the roof. It appears that because the service in Cork discovered the reason for the infection of blood products and the transmission of hepatitis C to mothers, it is being crucified and there is no end in sight. When will we get what was recommended by two international panels and what the remainder of the country is demanding to ensure that the supply of blood in this country is safe? Is the Minister of State going to inform us that everything is rosy in the garden?

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