YET another service has gone at the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH).
The Osteoporosis Clinic, which was held once a week and gave essential medical treatment to those suffering from the condition, has closed temporarily due to a staffing shortage.
Worse still, some patients are unaware of the closure, and those who do know about it have now no idea where to get the treatment they require.
Martina McDermott, pictured left, from Newtownbutler suffers from osteoporosis and experienced the distressing situation firsthand last month.
Twice a year – in May and November – she gets treatment for her condition that can only be administered by injection by a hospital consultant.
Since starting the treatment a few years ago, she has been receiving it at the SWAH’s Osteoporosis Clinic. However, she says that after receiving no notification letter for her usual treatment last month, she called her consultant’s secretary only to be told the clinic was ‘stopped in January’.
When she then asked how she’d now get her twice-yearly osteoporosis treatment she was given no answer.
“I get the injection twice a year in May and November, but four weeks before each injection I have to have bloods taken to make sure my calcium levels and kidney function are OK,” Ms McDermott explained.
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