The Aran island of Inis Oirr is to get its own general practitioner for the first time, following approval by the Western Health Board.
A second doctor is also to be employed on Inis Mór, where the resident GP, Dr Marian Broderick, has covered all three Aran islands for the last 21 years. Dr Broderick has had nursing support, but no other help, during that period. Her work has also involved serving as medical officer for the Aran island lifeboat.
Confirmation of the "expansion" at a time of health cutbacks was made during a visit to all three Aran islands yesterday by the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr Ó Cuív.
The announcement was made by Ms Catherine Duffy, of the health board's primary care department.
The population of Inis Oirr had petitioned the Western Health Board and the Department of Health and Children regularly for an extra doctor and the case had been supported by the Irish Islands Federation. Mr Ó Cuív said that he had been working on the issue for a long time.
Both departments, including his own, aimed to ensure that medical services on the islands were of an equal standards to services on the mainland, as far as possible.
The three GPs will provide "cross cover", ensuring that there is "ready access to a comprehensive range of general practitioner services at all times, including satisfactory out-of-hours cover", the health board stated yesterday.
"This development of GP services in rural areas is important to ensure that access to high-quality health care exists irrespective of geographical location," the board added.
A 10-bed community nursing unit has also been built by the health board on Inis Mór, in partnership with Respond. Staff are being recruited and the new unit will be opened as soon as the recruitment process has been completed, the health board said.
The unit will, for the first time, enable elderly people requiring residential nursing treatment to remain on the island.
