Women should not be denied foetal scan by dint of their geography
Labour Cork East TD Seán Sherlock has demanded that the Ministers for Health in Fine Gael and the Independent Alliance take immediate action to ensure that every woman in the State is given access to foetal anomaly scans. Deputy Sherlock’s amendment to the Health (Amendment) Bill 2017 would have seen every pregnant woman in the State guaranteed foetal anomaly scans regardless of their geography.
“Every woman has a right, if you refer to the 1970 Health Act, to be entitled to a scan.
“Yet a recent Parliamentary Question of mine on this matter found that we are not even measuring the amount of scans given out to pregnant women around the country. It took the work of OBGYNs and consultants to come together and provide statistics that only 33% of women are accessing these scans.”
“The Government indicates that the challenge is the recruitment of ultrasonographers. The Government has acknowledged the issue and the Ministers of Fine Gael and the Independent Alliance must come back to the House and say that they will begin recruitment in Quarter 1 or Quarter 2 at the latest of 2017 for these roles.
“What we’re talking about is public health. Every woman and every child has a right has a public health issue if we are to be equal in our treatment of issues in this State.”