Councillors call for dialysis unit at Roscommon hospital
The need for a kidney dialysis unit to be put in place at Roscommon University Hospital, in order to prevent patients in the county from having to travel to Galway, Mayo, or Sligo to access the treatment, was highlighted at a council meeting last week.
The motion seeking the opening of a dialysis unit at the hospital was brought by Castlerea's Cllr Liam Cunningham, and it received unanimous support at the most recent meeting of Roscommon County Council.
Cllr Cunningham spoke about the hardship currently experienced by dialysis patients, many of whom have to travel outside the county three times a week for their treatment.
The Fine Gael representative said it was his understanding that a dialysis unit would be considered at the hospital if there were 12-15 patients who would use the service, and he said "those numbers would be easily achievable in the Roscommon area, from what I hear."
Cllr Callaghan said at the moment there were three hospitals with dialysis units in the Connacht region: Merlin Park in Galway, Mayo General Hospital, and Sligo General Hospital.
He said he had spoken to several dialysis patients in Roscommon who are currently having to travel to Galway.
"Usually, they have to leave before 8am. The treatment lasts for four hours and then they have to travel back home again. It's usually an 8 to 10 hour day, at a minimum, and if they travel in shared transport it could take even longer.
"A lot of the users, though not all of them, are elderly people and it's quite a demanding day for them. They're back home, they might have a day's rest, and then they have to go back again," he said.
Curraghboy's Cllr Tony Ward, a member of the HSE West regional forum, said he fully supported Cllr Callaghan's motion. He said he had raised the same issue at a meeting of the HSE regional forum about a year ago and was told at that stage that the number of patients was too low to facilitate a dialysis unit in Roscommon.
"I will be putting it on the agenda again because I think Roscommon would be an ideal hospital in a very central location," he said.
Other local councillors who spoke in support of the motion included Cllr John Keogh.
"When the A&E was being closed in Roscommon, we were assured of all the other services that would be provided, some of which have been (put in place), and I think there's a strong argument for providing the service that Cllr Callaghan is proposing. I'd fully endorse it," he said.
Cllr Donal Kilduff said he didn't accept that the number of patients was too low to facilitate the service in Roscommon.
"If the service is there, I believe the users will come. People will avail of Roscommon, as opposed to other areas that they're currently travelling to," he commented.
Cllr Laurence Fallon praised Cllr Callaghan's "very practical" motion and said the addition of a dialysis unit in Roscommon would help to support climate action, given the amount of fossil fuels currently burned as a result of people having to travel to Galway or elsewhere for regular treatment.
"I wouldn't accept for one moment that there aren't enough people within a 30-mile radius of Roscommon that need dialysis in order for the numbers to be adequate to provide the service. It should be done, and done as quickly as possible," said Cllr Fallon.