WOMEN IN CLARE are suffering from “a crisis” in gynaecology waiting lists which are the second longest in the country.
Average wait times for an outpatient gynaecology appointment at Ennis Hospital is close to one year and five months, second only to Tallaght Hospital nationwide, according to latest figures. Waiting times at University Hospital Limerick average out at 291 days. 599 women are currently waiting for such appointments in Ennis, along with a further 1,455 at UHL.
In a joint motion before Clare County Council, Cllr Mary Howard (FG), Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF), Cllr Alan O’Callaghan (FF) and Cllr Liam Grant (GP) called on the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly (FF) to approve and allocate funding for both equipment and the recruitment of appropriate personnel for the Gynaecology Department in Ennis.
Speaking at the April meeting of the Council, Cllr Howard commended Clare FM’s Rebecca O’Sullivan for highlighting the matter. “It is clear that there is a very concerning ongoing crisis in our gynaecology waiting lists which has been continuing for far too long. Behind every number is a woman anxiously waiting for healthcare that she needs. Delayed appointments lead to delayed care, which can in turn lead to delayed diagnoses and delayed treatment. This is unacceptable. Women deserve better,” she stated.
A plan must be published to reduce the waiting lists by the Minister, the Ennis representative argued. “A gynae appointment isn’t sought on a whim. It is because of need for medical care, often for conditions that are debilitating, such as abnormal bleeding, fibroids, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and prolapse. Behind these numbers there are 30,805 women stressed and anxious waiting for healthcare. These women may be mothers, they may be trying to start a family. Their voices need to be heard”.
Ireland’s health service has been “historically pitted” against women, Cllr Howard lamented. “Ireland’s history in validating and prioritising women’s health is disproportionately lacking with the scandals of the past century sadly emphasising the fragmented connection. As women, the Irish health service has been historically pitted against us, our minds and our bodies, leaving us undervalued, ignored and sometimes dead”.
She added, “The Blood Transfusion Service Board found out about the possibility of a batch of contaminated anti-D immune globulin in 1991 but waited three more years before making it public. Imagine, senior blood service figures suspected these women’s condition much earlier, possibly up to two years earlier, but did not tell them. Then, rather than gracefully accept responsibility, the State tried to bully the women involved into silence. We can’t forget either that 129 Irish women had their wombs removed unnecessarily and more than 1,500 women had their pelvises deliberately broken during childbirth, rarely giving consent. It was only in 2014 that a redress scheme was announced for symphysiotomy survivors.
“These stories are not all from some primitive past. Right now the chief medical officer is examining the use of transvaginal mesh devices. They are used to treat conditions such as prolapse and incontinence, but some women are reporting side-effects ranging from chronic pain to organ damage and paralysis. We know that some women are waiting years for an endometriosis diagnosis. You just have to wonder how much better endo would be understood, taken seriously and more readily diagnosed if it were not isolated to the female body”.
The former Mayor of Clare concluded, “So, what on earth is going on here? Are women, simply, taken less seriously when it comes to their health? Or is there something else at play? I can’t think of a single male health scandal. Women feel unheard and dismissed when it comes to health! Please remember this is not a ‘woman’s problem’, these women are our sisters, wives, girlfriends, partners, mothers and it is often left to the men to pick up the pieces after”.
Regular visits for gynaecology appointments are “very important” and should be starting in early teenage years, Cllr McGettigan maintained. Regular screening will lead to earlier detection, the Shannon woman said.
Lack of healthcare is causing several issues across the country, Cllr Grant commented. “A lot of my friends have ended up with endometriosis and I can see how system has failed them”. Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) voiced his support for efforts to secure a greater allocation for equipment and personnel. “This is entirely unacceptable that in 2022 we’re talking of systems failures, it is shocking,” Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) remarked.
