Patients in pain as special machine lay idle for three years

 A €400,000 machine purchased by a Galway City hospital for treating public patients with kidney problems was lying idle for three years.

 The HSE West has confirmed that the Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripor (ESWL) machine, bought by University Hospital Galway in 2010, finally came into use last month.

But local TD, Brian Walsh, who raised the issue, says it is “shameful” that this machine was lying idle locally while hundreds of public patients had to travel to Dublin for treatment.

He said the whole episode highlights, “the reckless waste and lack of financial control that has afflicted our health service”.

The HSE purchased the machine for UHG in February, 2010 at a cost of around €400,000 including VAT.

It was idle and wasn’t used for ESWL on one single public patient in the years 2010 or 2011.

The HSE has conceded that it was used for public patients on three days only in 2012 – during that three day period in August, just ten public patients were treated, the HSE said.

It wasn’t used for ESWL at all again in 2013 to treat public patients, for whom it was purchased. The health authority has confirmed that the machine is finally in use again for its intended purpose and is based beside the Radiology Department at UHG.

It says that to date, since the service recommenced on January 27 of this year, some 15 public patients have been treated using the machine.

“This service is now resourced with a full-time nurse and will run three days per week initially. It is planned to treat 12 patients per week,” said Ann Cosgrove, general manager at Galway University Hospitals.

However, Deputy Walsh says there are still questions to be answered in relation to why the expensive machine was out of action for three years.

“I know constituents who have been in the position of having impassable kidney stones and urgently needed the treatment provided by this machine in the past few years,” said Deputy Walsh.

He added: “It is nothing short of shameful that our regional hospital has been in possession of the requisite equipment but patients like these have had to travel to Tallaght in order to receive the treatment that they so urgently required.

Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel