By Suzanna Kerridge, 14 October 1998 00:25
NEWS The Irish Department of Health's casual approach to the millennium problem could endanger lives, according to Irish medical experts. Finbarr Fitzpatrick, secretary general of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA), told the Irish government that its action so far has lacked purpose. He warned that medical equipment containing embedded chips, such as pacemakers, X-ray machines and defibrillators are most at risk. According to Fitzpatrick, medical records and screening programmes could also feel the effect of the millennium bug. IHCA consultants wrote to the Mater, St Vincent and Beaumont Hospitals seeking assurance that patients will not die as a result of the problem. However, Fitzpatrick said the association received the same letter from each hospital, stating it was not possible to offer a guarantee of patient safety. The chief executive of the UK's NHS, Sir Alan Langlands, also said he cannot guarantee that lives would not be lost.
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