Further delays in roll out of Breastcheck screening services
Issued : Monday 16 April, 2007
The H.S.E. advertises regularly on radio the importance of breastcheck for women between 50 and 64. They stress that this service is available, important and free. The women of the North-West, says Cllr. McGarry, are getting more and more infuriated by this use of the airwaves which brings home to them that they are outside the regular free screening area.
They are getting more and more angry that the long promised, nationwide extension of breastcheck has been put back time and time again. Commenting on the National Cancer Registry's recent report the Director of Cancer Services in the west, Oliver McAnena states "It is very frustrating that it has taken so long". In 2003 the Government promised to extend Breastcheck Nationwide by 2005 but the target now is December 2007.
Cllr. McGarry quotes Paul Walsh, also of the National Registry who claims that for breast cancer in the West a patient's chances of dying was 26 per cent higher than for a patient in Dublin.
The anger and frustration with cancer-screening services at long last seems to be getting through to some members of the Government Parties. Recently we had a Government Senator Margaret Cox of Galway resigning from her party. She said she wanted to highlight the Government's failure to devote as many resources to the West of Ireland as to other parts of the country.
She said the G.D.P per capita for Dublin was 33 per cent above the Irish average, yet the corresponding figure for the B.M.W region was 25 per cent below average. She slammed the Government's indifference to problems outside the Pale. She stressed it was not good enough that despite promises Breast Check was still not available in Galway.
Galway feels neglected, says McGarry. How much more neglected than Sligo/North Leitrim? And now, with Breast Check Screening in our area not due before the election what guarantee have we that it will ever come? The only way to make sure is to vote out the present Coalition and replace it with those of us who believe in what Pat Rabbitte calls "A Fair Society".
Cllr 
