Research from the UK which highlights the fact that heart attack survival rates decrease the further people live from an acute hospital was highlighted this week by Mayor John Kelly. He said that while the government is continually stressing the importance of research and development when it comes to enterprise creation, it can ignore research if the results don’t suit. ‘Well now we know that as a result of research done in the UK recently, it is a proven fact that the farther you live away from an acute hospital, the less your chances of survival are in the event of a heart attack. The report suggests that from six miles and greater away from your life saving hospital, your chances of survival diminish at an accelerated rate, so why does HSE West want to add another 30 plus miles onto your chances of survival by moving us on to Ballinasloe?’ he asks. ‘A cynical person would think that the new HSE is more concerned about economics rather than health provision and you are more cost-efficient if you die rather than hang on in there for dear life,’ he asserts. Mayor Kelly believes that this Government is talking from both sides of its mouth in endorsing research and development employment opportunities but won’t listen to the results of the research. ‘It would be outrageous now if the people of Roscommon allowed the election bluffers to still get away with their bluff at our expense,’ he concludes.
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