Ireland: New Cards Issued for those with Bleeding Disorders
February 4, 2015; Posted by: WeBleed staff
Ireland’s Minster of Health okays emergency cards for bleeding disorder patients.
An article posted by The Irish Times today brings awareness to bleeding disorders throughout Ireland, more specifically the blood disorder hemophilia. A new emergency card has been issued to patients with severe bleeding disorders to better help alert hospital staff and ambulance personnel. There are an estimated 775 people living with hemophilia in Ireland.
Ireland’s Minister for Health Leo Varadkar made the announcement today after visiting the Irish Haemophilia Society in Dublin.
“Any patient who presents to a hospital with a severe bleeding disorder in an emergency situation must be treated immediately,” said Varadkar. “Recognizing that a patient has a severe bleeding disorder can be problematic particularly for inexperienced healthcare professionals. And any delay in providing that vital treatment could have very serious consequences…The HSE has already contacted all the hospitals about the card. It is designed to ensure that all medical, nursing and ambulance staff in hospitals are aware of how to treat a card carrier within minutes of arrival at an emergency department.”
Severe bleeding alert cards were first issued to every person in the country with the condition in 2012 but have since been better designed with more information added.
Photo Credit – The Irish Times
