Fine Gael TD for Dublin Mid-West and member of the Oireachtas Committee on Health, Derek Keating, has today (Thursday) welcomed the continued support by the Minister for Health, James Reilly, for Cystic Fibrosis patients in Ireland.

“This week I tabled a question to the Minister for Health, James Reilly, for an update on the status of care for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients, including how many people are seeking treatment for CF, the length of time for access to a consultant, and the number of beds available to meet the needs of patients.

“The Minister advised me that nearly 90% of those with Cystic Fibrosis in Ireland are registered in a central database funded by the Department of Health and the HSE, amounting to 1,105 patients in total. He added that given the need to avoid the exposure of CF patients to sources of infection, the HSE is tasked with providing treatment for patients on an ambulatory day care basis as close as possible to their home, removing the need to admit them to hospitals.

“He also advised me that his Department has recently approved a grant of €150,000 to Build 4 Life, a Cystic Fibrosis group in Cork/Kerry, which will go towards the cost of a plan for a dedicated 10 bed unit for CF in Cork University Hospital. In addition, the new unit at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin is due to open in 2012 and he will continue to examine what other projects can provide extra services for CF patients around the country.

“I am very pleased to see that CF patients are a key priority for the Minister and that significant progress has been made in this area since he took office last year.”

ENDS