Concerns mount over future of GP services in Mayo parish

As apprehension grows over the future of vital GP services in the parish of Addergoole, a private meeting is set to take place tomorrow evening (Friday) in Lahardane Community Centre at 8.30 p.m. The meeting has been organised by the Rural Ireland Organisation, founded by local resident Gerry Loftus.

Lahardane, with a population of approximately one thousand medical card holders, is facing a critical shortage of medical cover. Despite the efforts of the HSÉ to secure a GP for the area, there have been no applicants for the position. The present GP serving the community is due to leave at the end of this month, leaving residents in a precarious situation.

Castlebar Fianna Fáil councillor Martin McLoughlin, a member of the HSE West Forum, has taken a proactive approach by raising the issue at the forum and reaching out to the Minister for Health and the Department of Health for clarification.

What exacerbates the issue is the absence of a permanent HSÉ facility in Lahardane. With the clock ticking and no applicants in sight, concerns within the community are mounting regarding the HSÉ's ability to secure a permanent GP or even a stand-in locum doctor.

Local Fine Gael deputy Alan Dillon has also rowed in behind the cause while Fianna Fáil Minister Dara Calleary has also voiced his support for a GP service to remain in Lahardane.