Connacht Tribune
Cancer centre has to install CCTV to protect from vandals
Rather than collecting for an essential piece of equipment, a cancer support service in East Galway must now turn their attention towards providing CCTV cameras on their property following a break-in by vandals to the property.
The East Galway and Midlands Cancer Centre in Ballinasloe were fundraising to purchase a car that would bring patients to and from radiotherapy sessions in Galway city but some of this money must now go towards security cameras following this incident.
It is something that the volunteer group had certainly not budgeted for and are appalled that vandals broke in and caused extensive damage to a polytunnel that is used by cancer patients to grow their own fruit, vegetables and flowers.
And what made the incident even more upsetting is the fact that the vandals wrote sexual explicit graffiti on the polytunnel that was provided at a cost of €3,200, which was all fundraised.
Gardaí are investigating the vandalism which occurred at the centre which is located close to Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe. It is situated on a quarter acre site and was established in the house there back in 2010.
It became a chosen charity of Boston Scientific who raised considerable funding for the house and property to be purchased. It provides a service for around 140 to 160 cancer patients every week.
Vicky Costello, who is a volunteer and works in the Oncology Department at Portiuncula, told The Connacht Tribune that the polytunnel is a vital asset to those recovering from cancer and is fully wheelchair accessible.
“What happened on this particular night is so frustrating and upsetting. The polytunnel was vandalised by individuals who cut and put holes through the plastic and drew sexually explicit graffiti on it.
“The polytunnel cost in the region of €3,000 and can be repaired at not a great cost. But unfortunately due to this vandalism, we feel as a committee that we now need to invest in CCTV cameras which is an expense we haven’t budgeted for.
“We are currently fundraising to buy a car to help people travel to and from radiotherapy in Galway and this expense takes from our fundraising efforts”, Vicky explained.
The gardens where the polytunnel is located were designed around two walking circles. It is used by the cancer patients and even by a 94-year-old man who comes there on a regular basis to help out.
The East Galway and Midlands Cancer Centre (ECMC) is open five days a week along with several evenings and it is fully operated by volunteers.
Some of the services offered include, a drop-in centre, several support groups for those breast, prostate and colorectal cancers, complimentary therapies like massage, reflexology, acupuncture, bio-energy healing and many more. They have the service a social worker, chiropodist along with psychotherapy and counselling.
There is an active art group and a “something to sing about” choir. They regularly host information evenings and cancer related conferences.
“In fact we are the first cancer support centre in Ireland to offer services of a gym to aid recovery from disease. This service offers a walking programme and resistance training and is delivered by trained volunteers with an interest in health and fitness,” Vicky Costello added.
The house is staffed by trained volunteers and all services are free to clients. All the therapists volunteer their services free of charge. “Everything we do at centre is client focused and all running costs are met by fundraising. We do not receive state funding and all staff work give of their own time to help out,” Vicky said.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
