Patients appeal for stem cell transplant lab at CUH
Patients in Cork, Ireland, are campaigning for the re-establishment of a stem cell transplant laboratory at Cork University Hospital. Currently, patients must travel to Dublin or Galway, causing significant hardship for those undergoing long-term cancer treatment.
Why it matters
The campaign highlights regional healthcare disparities and the physical and financial burden placed on patients by centralized medical services.
Patients with blood cancer such as leukemia are appealing to the HSE to reestablish a stem cell transplant laboratory at Cork University Hospital (CUH) to alleviate long hospital stays for them in Dublin and Galway, where stem cell labs are currently located.
A lab at CUH was closed in the 2000s over compliance issues. It is estimated an investment of around €27 million would be required to restore stem cell treatment in Co Cork.
Dan Sheehan is a dairy farmer from Blarney in Co Cork. In July of last year, he was diagnosed with acute leukemia.
Mr Sheehan's treatment was a course of stem cell therapy, but that meant a six-week stay in St James's Hospital in Dublin, one of only two centres in the country providing stem cell transplantation.
He is now campaigning for the development of a third laboratory to be located at CUH.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in