Home News Latest News Sick woman forced to wait three hours for an ambulance

Sick woman forced to wait three hours for an ambulance

Friday, 26 June 2009

A NORTHSIDE woman was left gasping for breath for over three hours last week while waiting for an ambulance to take her to hospital. When Catherine Scullion began suffering extreme chest pains on Tuesday, June 16, at her home in Coolock, her husband, Charles, immediately called for an ambulance. Mr Scullion feared that his wife’s type one diabetes could send her into a coma. Despite his home being just a few minutes away from Beaumont Hospital, they were still waiting over three hours later. Mr Scullion told Northside People of his traumatic experience and warned that people could die if ambulance services across the city were not immediately improved. “My wife was an urgent case,” he stated. “She has very serious diabetes and could have gone into a coma. “It’s a crazy system we have at the minute. Luckily, three separate fire brigade units answered our call and helped out until an ambulance could take Catherine to hospital. “One ambulance arrived but it already had a patient in the back. They were just there to drop off an oxygen container and were obviously extremely busy.” Mr Scullion said the current strain being put on emergency medical services is unacceptable and he fears having to call an ambulance again. “I blame the lack of funding,” he declared. “It’s not the workers’ fault. They did their best and did everything they could to help us. “The fire brigade arrived very quickly at the scene and were also frustrated by the situation. “They put Catherine on a drip and made sure she was okay. This was all in my home, right in my kitchen.” Mr Scullion is concerned that if anything serious happens to him or his wife, they will be unable to get to hospital in time. “I am worried that this is the way it will be if anything happens now,” he said. “There is only so much I can do but it’s very worrying that the Government has let this disgraceful situation happen. “People could die without proper ambulance services and hospitals ready to receive patients with serious conditions.” Mr Scullion has called for properly funded ambulances to respond to emergencies like this.  “You can’t expect serious medical conditions to be treated in someone’s kitchen,” he added. “I have been in touch with all of my local TDs to warn them about this potentially life threatening situation.” Local councillor Larry O’Toole (SF) has expressed outrage that a patient would be left waiting so long to be taken to hospital. “This is a total disgrace but the blame needs to be placed squarely on the Department of Health, who have run the system into the ground,” said Cllr O’Toole. “Mrs Scullion was left in the traumatic situation of having to wait over three hours while suffering with breathing difficulties and that is not acceptable.” Cllr O’Toole said he understood the problems were not the fault of medical workers or ambulance drivers who did their best under adverse conditions. “I would like to commend the paramedics who attended the house for their professionalism under the circumstances,” he added. “I understand there was a problem at the hospital with ambulances unable to drop off patients due to the hospital being full.” Northside People contacted Dublin Fire Brigade, who are in charge of ambulance services across the city, but the person dealing with the issue was unavailable at the time of going to press. squarely on the Department of Health, who have run the system into the ground,” said Cllr O’Toole. “Mrs Scullion was left in the traumatic situation of having to wait over three hours while suffering with breathing difficulties and that is not acceptable.” Cllr O’Toole said he understood the problems were not the fault of medical workers or ambulance drivers who did their best under adverse conditions. “I would like to commend the paramedics who attended the house for their professionalism under the circumstances,” he added. “I understand there was a problem at the hospital with ambulances unable to drop off patients due to the hospital being full.” Northside People contacted Dublin Fire Brigade, who are in charge of ambulance services across the city, but the person dealing with the issue was unavailable at the time of going to press.