Deputy Denis Naughten has welcomed a commitment by the HSE to upgrade the sterilising facilities at Roscommon County Hospital.
“One of the reasons why local patients have not been able to avail of some surgical procedures at Roscommon County Hospital is because of the failure by the HSE to invest in improved sterilising of surgical instruments and theatres,” explained Deputy Naughten.
“It is bizarre that while some local representatives have been calling for people to use the services of the hospital, vital equipment that could allow this to happen has been denied to the hospital,” he continued.
“Amazingly, John Hennessy, who is responsible for the operation of the Health Service in the western region, seemed unaware of this issue until a recent meeting with councillors, the Hospital Action Committee and myself.”
Following this meeting and after raising the issue in the Dáil, Denis Naughten has been informed by the HSE that it now intends to install and commission a scope washer to sterilise equipment at the hospital as a matter of urgency.
“The provision of this equipment means that far more procedures can take place and I'm now calling on the HSE to utilise these excellent facilities by referring patients on waiting lists in Galway and other hospitals to Roscommon,” added the TD.
“The upgrade of this equipment is the very minimum required to maintain day surgery at our hospital and I now hope that the equipment will be installed without any further delay. This confirmation is welcome news and something that has been badly needed for some time,” he stated.
