Three Kerry TDs have teamed up with the Irish Heart Foundation to call for a new national cardiovascular disease (CVD) policy.
Deputies Pa Daly, Danny Healy-Rae and Michael Cahill have joined the Oireachtas Heart and Stroke Group.
Cardiovascular disease is Ireland’s leading cause of death, accounting for 10,000 deaths annually – approximately 30 per cent of all fatalities.
In Kerry, 18,000 people live with CVD, which leads to a wide range of heart conditions.
The Irish Heart Foundation says Ireland has the lowest number of cardiologists per capita in the EU and has been without a national CVD policy for over five years.
The new Oireachtas group, established by the Irish Heart Foundation and comprising members from across the political spectrum, aims to reduce preventable deaths by supporting these so-called “abandoned” patients.
The foundation is also calling for full implementation of the National Stroke Strategy to ensure patients can access dedicated stroke units.
It wants greater efforts to raise awareness of high blood pressure, along with improved treatment and control of the condition.
With 1.5 million people affected in Ireland, high blood pressure is the leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke and must be treated as a national priority.
The Irish Heart Foundation is also advocating for increased investment in cardiac rehabilitation programmes, which it says are currently understaffed and underfunded, to reduce deaths from heart disease by at least one-fifth.
Chris Macey, Director of Advocacy at the Irish Heart Foundation, said the absence of a policy framework for the prevention, detection and treatment of CVD is hindering the development of lifesaving services.
He explained that, without adequate community-based care and support, many patients are suffering preventable death, disability and a significant loss of quality of life.
Mr Macey highlighted that cardiovascular care has been operating in a policy vacuum for the past five and a half years, since the previous National Cardiovascular Health Policy expired.
He stressed the urgent need for investment in cardiac imaging, including echocardiography, cardiac CT and cardiac MRI.
He also noted that patients discharged from hospital often face poor access to cardiac and stroke rehabilitation, high out-of-pocket costs, and little or no psychological support to deal with the trauma of heart attacks, strokes or heart disease diagnoses.
Despite these challenges, Mr Macey expressed optimism, saying the sector is now united with a shared vision to address current service gaps and prepare for the projected rise in CVD due to Ireland’s ageing population.
He concluded that major reductions in preventable death and disability are possible through more cost-effective services, but only if policymakers make cardiovascular disease a national health priority.
