Concern over Cath Lab services for South Tipp

The removal of the mobile Cath Lab unit from University Hospital Waterford during the Covid-19 pandemic has been greeted with dismay.

It means once again South Tipp and the entire southeast region is without a 24 hours service as the permanent lab at the hospital is currently being renovated.

Hilary O’Neill from the South East Patient Advocacy Group says they appear to be getting further and further away from obtaining 24/7 cardiac care at this point and hiding behind Covid 19 is no excuse.

“It seems to be a very sinister move in my view.”

“The second Cath Lab was brought in to reduce waiting lists for diagnostics – so I mean people are still having heart attacks, people are still you know having issues with their hearts. Just because Covid-19 is here doesn’t mean all that stopped.”

“Now the other thing is when Covid-19 does go we are now going to be back down to one Cath Lab in UHW. And you know that’s not going to be….the waiting lists are going to rise again because of Covid-19 because people will be putting off going in for appointments.”