A purpose-built maternity theatre at Letterkenny University Hospital has remained unused since its construction back in 2004.
The shocking revelation is contained in a response issued from hospital management to correspondence from Deputy Pearse Doherty in which he questioned theatre space and the operational status of operating suites.
It has also been disclosed that only three out of the hospital’s four In-patient theatres are routinely ever used to perform operations.
Criticising the failure to effectively use the existing facilities to the maximum potential, Deputy Doherty said the situation cannot go unchallenged.
“Earlier this year, I tabled a serious of Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Health in relation to funding, staffing and resourcing at Letterkenny University Hospital, including the number of operational surgery theatres at the hospital.
“A few weeks ago, I received details from management on the hospital’s theatre space, including information in relation to the facilities at the hospital for day surgery and in-patient procedures.
“The reply revealed that Letterkenny University Hospital currently has Day Surgery Theatres which are both operational, while there are also four In-Patient Surgery Theatres.
“However, while management confirmed that all four In-patient theatres are operational, only three of them are used on a regular basis. The explanation I was given for this was because the fourth theatre is kept free in the event that emergency caesarean section procedures are required to be carried out.
“The response also stated that a Maternity Theatre is also on-site and is located adjacent to the maternity delivery rooms however, management admitted that the theatre is not commissioned and therefore cannot be used.
“This week I again queried with management the reasons why these theatres are not being utilised to their full potential.”
Hospital management has stated that hospitals which operate a maternity service must have a theatre available on 24/7 basis in the case of emergency caesarian sections.
The response continues to say that while a bespoke maternity theatre was installed during the development of the renal dialysis block at the hospital which began back in the year 2000, this theatre was never resourced upon completion and so was never commissioned and therefore cannot be used.
Deputy Doherty fumed “It is simply unbelievable to think that, while waiting lists grow and demand for operations and procedures are at an all-time high, there are only three out of four in-patient theatres in regular use, while a purpose built maternity theatre has been lying idle for over thirteen years – it’s simply ludicrous.
“I do not believe that this issue should go unchallenged, and serious questions need to be answered here by both the HSE and the Minister as to why vital hospital facilities are being either under-used or not being put into service at all.
“This week, I have already tabled a series of Parliamentary Questions in which the underutilisation of theatre space at the hospital will be levelled squarely at the Minister, and I will be expecting a commitment from him that this scandalous waste of theatre space will be addressed, and that the hospital will be provided with the resources it needs to operate its theatres to their full capacity for the benefit of patients.
“In our health document, ‘Better4Health’, Sinn Féin has shown that, unlike the other parties, we have a fully costed and credible plan for the health service, detailing how we can deliver a world class universal health care system, based on need and free at the point of delivery.
“Our party has outlined how we would increase capacity throughout the hospital system by recruiting additional staff, opening further beds and reduce waiting times through the introduction of an integrated waiting list management system.”
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