Ambulance transfer for patient
Deputy Marian Harkin described a constituent in severe pain who cannot get a HSE ambulance for essential scans and asked for an ambulance transfer. The Taoiseach said he could not comment without details but would have the matter looked into if sent to his office.
I raise the unique, or at least very special, case of a constituent of mine who suffers from a most painful congenital condition and other illnesses. When this person has to attend essential medical appointments or scans, they have to travel by car as there is never a HSE ambulance available. As a consequence, the person is in absolute agony. It is a cruel situation. The private ambulance services are not just prohibitively expensive but also impossible to source. I ask that, in this instance, an ambulance transfer be provided for these necessary medical scans or interventions. The Order of Malta has assisted on one occasion and the family is very grateful but it is a voluntary organisation. If the HSE cannot provide the service, could further resources be provided to the Order of Malta?