Dail Report: There were no protocols to prevent doctors doing what was right for patients, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said.
Mr Ahern was responding to renewed Opposition questioning relating to the death of Patrick Walsh (75) at Monaghan hospital on Friday after attempts to transfer him to three other hospitals for emergency surgery failed.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said it was incomprehensible that a man could have been allowed to die when personnel and medical staff were available with the necessary skills to carry out a life-saving operation on him.
"Does the Taoiseach accept that the protocols laid down for Drogheda, Monaghan and Cavan hospitals impose limitations on what can be done and the procedures that can be carried out?" Mr Kenny added.
"Does he accept that these protocols cause great confusion about what actually can be done? Does he accept that what is needed here is political direction to bring clarity to the situation?"
He added that under section 10 of the 2004 Act, Minister for Health Mary Harney was entitled to give a directive to the Health Service Executive that no administrative procedure should prevent skilled surgeons and competent medical people from carrying out a life-saving operation.
Mr Ahern urged the House to await the report on what happened, adding that it would be made public. "I look forward to the review finding an answer to the question as to the beds available in the region and what the circumstances were in Monaghan General Hospital," he added.
He said that who was in the hospital at the time, who was watching and monitoring, would all come out in the report.
"My view is that to given political directives on these issues is wrong. It is not for us to direct. If there are issues of resources or policy required, the Tánaiste and the department will do whatever they can in that regard," he added.
"She and her officials are dealing with all these issues. If I came in here every morning announcing or defending political directives for individual hospitals, or interfering with protocols governing the running of hospitals, that would be entirely wrong."
Mr Kenny said he had not reached any conclusion about Monaghan hospital, and he had not asked him to issue an individual direction in respect of any hospital.
"Persons of skill and medical experience were unable to operate on Mr Walsh, who bled to death in Monaghan hospital. They could not operate because of an administrative blockage which can be cleared for this hospital and for every hospital under section 10 of the Health Act," he said.
Mr Ahern said Mr Kenny was assuming the consultants were present watching the man die.
"We should wait to find out what were the circumstances. We should wait to find out if protocols or a policy direction from either the HSE or the department had an effect in this instance," Mr Ahern added.
