The HSE is being urged to use local hospital facilities to operate regular Cataract Clinics in South Tipp.
The call from Councillor John O’Heney comes in the wake of the decision to cut the reimbursement fee for those availing of the Cross Border Healthcare Directive.
The Independent representative set up the Sightsaver Bus project in 2021 which takes people to Belfast for the procedure.
He says the HSE should not be relying on a County Councillor to have to organise health care procedures for his constituents.
“The HSE must provide high quality healthcare here in County Tipperary. We have a large hospital in Clonmel, we also have a hospital in Cashel that’s underutilised in my opinion and I don’t see any reason why a clinic can’t be set up here in South Tipperary on a Saturday and it would alleviate waiting lists as time goes on.
“The HSE needs to be more proactive in their approach to delivering high quality healthcare.”
Councillor O’Heney says the reduction in the contribution by the HSE could result in elderly people who may be on pensions not being able afford to pay for the Cross Border Healthcare Directive.
“It’s going to have a significant impact on maybe on the numbers of people that can travel. The waiting lists are significant here for the HSE and they need to realise that it’s a counter balance – you need to be able to either provide the healthcare here in Tipperary or have a reimbursement fee that’s sufficient for to travel and avail of the service elsewhere. Otherwise the waiting lists are just going to continue to grow and there’ll be no resolution to this problem.”
