Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister said in his initial contribution the emergency thrombolysis service is available in all regions.

As the Minister is aware, it is not available in all acute hospitals. Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe does not have an emergency stroke or thrombolysis service at present. Will the Minister give a commitment to the House, first, that priority will be given to the appointment of a geriatrician physician to provide a thrombolysis service at one of the emergency hospitals in the country that does not have it currently and, second, that one of the seven telemedicine stroke machines that are gathering dust in a warehouse in Cork would be installed in Portinucula Hospital in Ballinasloe and linked to Galway University Hospital? We would then have a 24-7 emergency stroke service that is available in other parts of the country but is not available at present in my region, which is putting lives at risk.

See this speech in context