THE Air Corps
helicopter is available to fly rape and sex assault
victims from Donegal to Dublin to avoid delays in
getting forensics and reduce the trauma for
patients, it's been confirmed.
Senator Cecilia Keaveney has been told by the
Department of Health that arrangements are already
in place with the ambulance service whereby the Air
Corps provides transport to avoid patients having to
travel for hours by road.
"This requires some advance contact with the Air
Corps to ensure that they can accommodate the
patient but the department states that this
generally works well," she said.
"To ensure that Donegal is appropriately facilitated
in this interim phase, the Department of Health have
said that there will also be discussions with the
Air Corps about the service level agreement to
provide transport for the cases where it is needed.
"Therefore my understanding is that there is indeed
an arrangement for the use of helicopters. It is
most important, though, that work will continue to
develop the services offered by Sexual Assault
Trauma Units around the country."
Meanwhile, Senator Keaveney also received
confirmation that a forensic nurse training
programme has started in Letterkenny.
"As some people know, Letterkenny will benefit from
the forensic nurse training programme which has just
started. This will provide the personnel at the
local level that it needs to be at," she said.
"In the meantime, the service is to be provided from
one of the other units already established (in
Dublin etc). There are to be discussions within the
HSE to formalise the existing arrangements with
specific reference to units providing cross cover
for Donegal.
"Services to support victims of sexual and domestic
abuse are vital and again I congratulate those who
are involved, often in a voluntary capacity, in what
they are doing for their communities.
"It is preferable that no one should need these
services but in the reality of life it is important
that supports and support services are as strong as
possible," she added. |
