Drugs recovered in Erris

Cancer services protest rally this Sunday

Claire Egan

A PUBLIC rally is to take place this Sunday (October 28) to protest against the withdrawal of cancer services from Mayo General Hospital and to demand that the Health Service Executive (HSE) retain and expand existing cancer services at the Castlebar hospital.
As reported in last week’s edition of The Mayo News, breast cancer and other cancer services are expected to be withdrawn from MGH by 2010. This news has been greeted with dismay by cancer support groups, who say that such a move has serious consequences for patient care.
“One of the biggest elements in combating cancer is prompt diagnosis and subsequent treatment. While UCHG will become a centre of excellence for cancer care, we want services at MGH retained and expanded. A multi-disciplinary team of health professionals meet each week at MGH to discuss cancer patient care and treatment and if we lose this it has huge consequences for all cancer patients in Mayo who are facing the ordeal of travelling long distances to UCHG for regular treatment, not to mention joining long waiting lists,” said Mayo Breast Cancer Support Group spokesperson, Mary McGreal.
Under the National Cancer Control Programme, two specialist cancer care centres were established in each HSE area and as a result of this Limerick Regional Hospital and University College Hospital, Galway are to become the prime cancer treatment centres for the west. By 2010, over 90 per cent of cancer treatment will take place at these hospitals.
Thirteen hospitals nationwide which were deemed to have low breast cancer patient volumes were ordered by the HSE to no longer provide multi-disciplinary breast services or surgical treatments.
A HSE spokesperson last week confirmed that while MGH retained its day care Oncology Unit, the Health Information Quality Authority (HIQA) was due to carry out a review of breast cancer services throughout the country and that MGH was in the process of preparing for this.
“It is absolutely vital that we retain the services at MGH and I would appeal to the general public to come along on Sunday and join the protest march and demand the retention of all cancer care services at MGH,” said Mary.
Next Sunday’s march will commence at 2.30pm at Castlebar Swimming Pool, proceeding through the town and concluding at the Welcome Inn Hotel.