Councillor for the Claremorris Electoral area, and Aontu General Elction candidate Paul Lawless, is calling on the government to back the expansion of the Priority Health Bus project, BY SETT which has dramatically reduced waiting times for critical surgeries.
The initiative, formerly known as the Cataract Bus, has taken over 500 people off Ireland’s chronically long waiting lists, allowing them to receive vital treatments such as cataract surgery, hip replacements, and carpal tunnel surgery in a matter of weeks, not years.
Now, Cllr. Lawless is proposing a national solution to this growing health crisis
He is calling on the government to set up offices across the regions to assist patients in the bureaucracy around accessing procedures in the North or abroad.
He is proposing that the first of these offices be opened in Claremorris, serving as a hub for Mayo and potentially the entire Connacht region as a starting point.
The coouncillor accepts that this is not the total solution for the thousands of people on waiting lists for procedures, but says it could help in reducing these numbers.
He’s been speaking to Midwest News Editor Teresa O’Malley:
