A rescued diver had undergo treatment in the Isle of Man because Northern Ireland's only recompression chamber is out of use, it emerged today.
Southern Health and Social Care Trust staff confirmed it could be up to another four weeks before the facility is fully operational, even though it was installed at Craigavon Area hospital, Co Armagh last November.
It replaced a recompression chamber which was over 20 years old, but nurses, consultants and medical technical officers have yet to be fully trained up.
The diver who got into difficulties off the Co Down coast had to be treated in a hypebaric chamber on the Isle of Mann after surfacing quickly from a depth of 16 metres at Guns Island, off Ballyhornan.
He was unconscious for a time before he was recovered by the crew of the Portaferry lifeboat. A spokeswoman for the Southern Health and Social Care Trust said the recompression chamber closed last year to allow the installation of a new one.
She added: "Nursing, medical and technical staff from within the Trust have been recruited and during the month of June, training has been provided by specialists from Aberdeen.
"Operational procedures are currently being finalised and it is hoped that the new chamber will be operational within the next two to four weeks."