Remote west mayo communities to get own ambulance service

WEST Mayo general practitioner Dr. Jerry Cowley has been informed that full-time positions have been approved by the HSE to ensure the opening of a fully-staffed ambulance base in Mulranny early this year.

The new appointments will also lead to the opening of the Tuam ambulance base as well as the elimination of the on-call part of the Belmullet ambulance service.

Dr. Cowley had delivered 3,000 signed petitions to Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s office in Castlebar just before Christmas calling on him to give the green light for staffing of the Mulranny base.

Over the past number of years Dr. Cowley has delivered seven babies at his surgery because their mothers could not make it to Mayo General Hospital in time due to the vast distances people have to travel to Castlebar. He had started a petition, aided by his Achill GP colleagues, after the birth of Amaya Gallagher at his surgery on January 31, 2014.

It has been confirmed that 45 positions have been sanctioned and that the Mulranny and Tuam bases will be fully staffed and open in early 2015.

Stated Dr. Cowley: “This is great news. It will mean that the people of Mulranny, Ballycroy, Bangor-Erris, Inishbiggle, Achill, Currane, Newfield, Newport, Kilmeena and surrounding areas will shortly have 24/7 HSE emergency ambulance services from their local ambulance base for the first time ever.”