Cancer chief visit fails to save Dóchas
Wednesday May 28 2008
It is understood Professor Keane met with management and staff at the Dóchas centre and the Lourdes Hospital?s new oncology unit.The Dóchas centre is still set for closure in September. As far as we can gather Drogheda staff involved in triple assessment and breast surgery will be sent to work in Dublin three days a week.Why, if these staff are good enough to work in Dublin, can they not continue to work in Drogheda where we already have a centre of excellence for cancer care ?? asked Jimmy Nash, chairman of the Save Our Cancer Unit (SOCU).
The SOCU campaigners say their plans for a major public rally through Drogheda on Saturday, June 7th, are still on.We will be distributing 20,000 leaflets to homes and businesses in the area, saying ?cancer ? it could be you?. We are telling people if you care, be there,? said Mr Nash.
The HSE has said breast cancer patients will continue to receive chemotherapy and supportive care in the Lourdes Hospital, as they do at present.
However, services that the Dóchas centre provides such as mammography, as well as its prosthesis fitting service and family history clinic, will be lost as breast cancer assessment and surgery are transferred to Dublin.
Labour Councillor Gerald Nash said the SOCU campaign is aimed at ?retaining and developing the Lourdes Hospital cancer care services. We do not want to see their downgrading and removal,? he stressed.
Under the Government?s cancer control strategy announced last year, Dublin?s Beaumont hospital is set to be the cancer ?centre of excellence? for patients from the north east.
At the time Health Minister Mary Harney said the new strategy is necessary because Ireland doesn?t have good cancer outcomes compared to international standards.
However, in the case of the Lourdes Hospital, SOCU reject the Government?s claim.The patient numbers treated and their outcomes speak for themselves. We have a centre of excellence here and we aim to keep it,? said Mr Nash.
