Ireland’s first dedicated centre for the treatment of Lyme Disease is set to open this month.
The new Lyme Resource Centre is being opened in the Mater Hospital in Dublin in November.
The centre is being established to meet the growing demand from patients as the number of suspected cases rises in Ireland, the Irish Times reports
Lyme disease is a bacterial disease transmitted predominantly by the bite of an infected tick. If left untreated, the effects can be debilitating.
The HSE estimates that there are upward of 200 cases in Ireland each year. However, the number is believed to be much higher as Lyme disease and tick borne co-infections are often misdiagnosed.
Donegal County Councillor Albert Doherty says the Mater Hospital centre is a welcome development in the ongoing campaign by many concerned groups who advocate for patients with Lyme.
Cllr Doherty stated, “Many in the community have felt frustrated and abandoned by the response of the HSE and the government to calls for treatment support provision for patients with Lyme.
“The Lyme Resource Centre at the Mater Hospital is to open this month and it will bring consolation and relief and assistance resulting in early diagnosis and thus prevent later complications which can arise.
“Local support groups and individuals who have lobbied local councils and national government for treatment and support are to be congratulated.
Cllr Doherty added: “Dr.Jack Lambert, the infectious disease specialist at the Mater’s support, and the recently confirmed commitment by the HSEs ‘Health Protection Surveillance Centre” to draw up a report on the diagnosis, surveillance and treatment of the disease are all welcome and necessary supports required nationally for affected families.”
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