Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has called on the HSE to immediately clarify why people from Donegal are being forced to travel long distances TWICE for Covid tests and then hospital procedures.
In recent weeks, Deputy Mac Lochlainn has learned of a case where a child and his mother had to travel from North Donegal to Sligo Hospital early in the week for a Covid test and then back again later in the week for a procedure.
He also cited the case of an older man who also had to travel from North Donegal to a hospital in Dublin for a Covid test by public bus and taxi early in the week and then back again later in the week for a hospital procedure.
In both cases, they were not allowed to avail of a Covid test in Letterkenny instead.
Deputy Mac Lochlainn said this does not make any sense.
He said “The HSE needs to immediately clarify why hospitals are insisting that they carry out the Covid tests in-house, ahead of procedures, even in cases where children and older people must travel long distances.
Donegal TD Padraig MacLochlainn
“Why are the testing processes in Donegal not coordinated with the relevant hospitals to avoid this huge inconvenience and additional trauma?
“The HSE also needs to clarify if they have the requisite numbers of Covid testing kits in Donegal”.
“It’s bad enough that so many people in Donegal still have to travel these huge distances for hospital appointments or procedures that should be available in Letterkenny University Hospital but to force them to travel twice in a short number of days is just unacceptable at this time or any time”.
