Call for ambulance base in Limerick town

COUNCIL members are to lobby the new Health Minister Jennifer Carroll McNeill to open an ambulance base at Kilmallock’s Primary Healthcare Centre.

A motion was unanimously passed at the January local authority meeting, with one councilor Greg Conway saying Kilmallock is a “blackspot” when it comes to ambulances accessing the area.

Cllr Conway, who has worked in the town’s fire station for almost 40 years, said the infrastructure is in place.
“The base is already there. There are two parking bays, two charging point, there is a restroom for the paramedics,” he said of the health centre at Bruree Road.

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Cllr Conway said securing an ambulance base for Kilmallock has been a priority of his for many years, pointing out that it would also benefit Effin, Kilfinane, Dromin, Bruree and Bruff.

“I have worked in the emergency services for 37 years. Through this, I realised we have an issue with getting ambulances through Kilmallock. It’s a blackspot. If you come to Kilmallock and head to Ballylanders, Knocklong, you’d have ambulances coming from Mitchelstown and Tipperary. The other way, you’d have them from Mallow and Kanturk. But the only ambulance we have coming in is from University Hospital Limerick’s stock of ambulances,” he said.

The newly-elected councillor told of how one of his constituents, a 91-year-old man was waiting two hours for an ambulance in Kilmallock last month.

“I feel we are not being serviced properly time-wise. In my experience with the emergency services, we are told the first hour to get to somebody is critical. It’s the golden hour, we are told,” he said.

“Where you have stroke victims, you need to get to them as quickly as you can. This should not come down to cost. It comes down to the welfare of people, the welfare of constituents in my area,” Cllr Conway added.

The notice of motion originally came from the Cappamore-Kilmallock district meeting.

It was then brought forward to the full bi-monthly meeting by the area’s seven councillors, including Cllr Conway.

The leader of the Cappamore-Kilmallock district, Cllr Martin Ryan formally seconded the motion at the full meeting.

A letter will now issue to Government.