A pint of Guinness back at home in Boyle was the order of the day for a man doing dialysis three times a week in Sligo.
The tale was related during a special Dail debate on organ donation yesterday, Friday.
Mother’s Patience
In yesterday’s Dail debate, Deputy Frank Feighan paid tribute to staff in Sligo Regional Hospital: “The service there was great.”
“My father was not the best patient,” Deputy Feighan recalled yesterday.
“He used to travel to Sligo for dialysis. The service there was great and the nurses and doctors were excellent and very patient.
“However, when he came home from the dialysis, which he received three times per week, he would go next door to have a pint of Guinness.
“That did not help my mother’s patience, but the health system was very good to him.
“He passed away 13 years ago but I do not think he fully appreciated the issues involved in kidney donation.
“Again,” said Deputy Feighan yesterday ” I am grateful for the work done for him in Beaumont Hospital and in Sligo and for the support of the Irish Kidney Association.
Mr Feighan recalled first entered national politics he was elected to the Seanad, having been nominated by the Irish Kidney Association.
The Dail heard yesterday that in June 2012, more than 1,700 Irish adults had received haemodialysis.
“Yet, throughout all of 2012 just 163 renal transplants were carried out in the Republic of Ireland,” said Deputy Jerry Buttimer, Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children.
Added Deputy Buttimer: “To meet the needs of those receiving haemodialysis our health system should be performing in the region of 300 kidney transplants each year.”
Meanwhile, the Minister for Health, Dr Reilly, told yesterday’s special Dail debate that the draft heads of new laws on “soft opt-in” would be ready later this year.
More Than Twice
“Last year,” said Dr Reilly, ” was a record for organ transplants, with 294 transplants performed as a result of the generosity of 86 deceased donors and 38 living donors.
“It was a particularly good year for lung transplants, with 32 such transplants being performed,” said Dr Reilly — more than twice the total for any previous year.
There are 38 living kidney donors and, said the Minister: “Their generosity is an example to all of us.
“Last year’s figure of 38 was a record, and we are hopeful that we can take steps to facilitate a continuation of this trend, he added.
Finally, Ireland last year had an organ donation rate of 18.7 per million but Minister Reilly said he would like to see this rate rising to 22 per million in 2014.
(Story courtesy Sligo Today)
