Compensation is half expected € 45 million figure
THE final bill for compensating women who had their wombs wrongly removed in childbirth by disgraced Lourdes obstetrician Michael Neary is less than half the expected 45 million. But 35 women who had their wombs or ovaries wrongly removed by Neary in gynaecological operations have still not been compensated by the redress board set up for victims.
According to figures revealed this week the bill was 20.6 million, with around 119 women receiving average awards of 173,000 each.
That scheme doesn't cover women who were over 40 when Neary operated on them.
This week, support group Patient Focus renewed its calls on Health Minister Mary Harney to look after these women.
'People are shocked that this is still going on. Some of these women were under 40 but not compensated because their operations were gynaecological. Two of the women lost babies and couldn't have any more children. The minister knows these are serious cases. She previously said they would be compensated but she has yet to honour that promise,' said Catherine Molloy of Patient Focus.
The support group say the state's bill in the Neary case has turned out to be far lower than expected at € 12.9, as it recovered € 7.7 million of the € 20.6 million bill from medical insurers.
'The state had put aside a far higher amount. These women deserve compensation and it would cost somewhere between € 3 and € 5 million,' said Ms Molloy.
'Neary is still being paid a € 100,000 a year pension, while these women's lives are still on hold,' she added.
Ms Molloy said further court actions against are expected against Michael Neary in the autumn.
- Angela MCCORMICK
