The Department of Health has snubbed a Donegal family who lost their mother after it took an ambulance 50 minutes to reach the dying woman on the roadside.
The late Maura Porter
Junior Health Minister Kathleen Lynch said the Department is satisfied the nearest ambulance available tended to Maura Porter.
The 70 year old pensioner passed away after she was struck by a car in Carndonagh on December 30th last.
The nearest ambulance was located in Letterkenny and it took almost 50 minutes to reach Mrs Porter as the ambulance in Carndonagh was already on a call.
Mrs Porter’s family have already promised to launch a campaign in a bid to get an improved ambulance service to cover the Inishowen Peninsula.
Local TD Charlie McConalogue has said the reality is that the nearest ambulance base was less than half a mile from where Mrs Porter was knocked down.
“This family need a full investigation into what happened in this incident and also a full review of ambulance services across the county.
“We need a full to ensure that ambulances are available when needed. It is the Porter family’s wish that no other family go through what they went through that Monday night.
“I am asking the Mininster for her assurance that a full investigation will be carried out,” he said.
He added that two ambulances need to be made available so that if one is called away on an emergency, then another is available.
“The national guidelines show that an ambulance should be at the scene within 19 minutes but in this case it took almost an hour.
“I would ask the Minister to give this family an assurance that an investigation that the service level of ambulances will be reviewed and the proper services are put in place,” he said.