New transport initiative for Virginia cancer patients

Big hearted people drawn from right across the community in Virginia have banded together to put a project in place, which is designed to provide transport for cancer patients visiting hospitals. A public meeting was held in the Riverfront Hotel recently in regard to initiating a transport scheme for cancer patients. The Primary Care Centre was represented by Dr. Igoe and Claire Smith, while members of the Community Forum together with interested members from right across the community also attended the meeting. Those in attendance were given an insight into how to formulate this new transport scheme by people from Bailieborough, where a similar scheme is already up and running. After a very productive meeting, a committee was formed and the aims were also set out with clarity. They include making free transport available to Virginia Primary Care cancer patients requiring treatment. They will also be tasked with organising fundraising events to finance this ongoing service and to raise public awareness. Another aim is to liaise with primary care staff and the transport providers regarding the day-to-day running of the scheme. The dynamic committee, which is headed up by chairman John Brodie, comprises eleven people and they have secured a stand at Virginia Agricultural Show on next Wednesday, August 19 with a view to further raising public awareness about this new organisation. They will be engaging in major fundraising drives shortly and they hope to have the service up and running by the end of September. The organisation has already received a major financial boost from two bridge nights and high visibility vests have also been sponsored. When a patient goes to their doctor and they have to go for treatment in either Cavan or St. Lukes, they will be given a form, which lists the names of around seven taxi drivers and the doctor will have stamped it to validate the form. You the patient choose the taxi driver and sign the form and then the taxi driver signs it and gets paid from the new organisation. If the patient wishes to bring another person with them for support, that will also be facilitated in the near future.The expansive primary care unit in Virginia has been in place for a number of years. About six years ago, it was decided to establish a community forum and that comprises of local people. They have an input into what the community may require in terms of additional health services. Essentially, members from the Primary Care unit and members of the local community meet once a month to formulate ongoing ideas. One idea brought into being was Slí na Sláinte (The Way of Health) and this focused on walking routes through the local woods, which vary in length from three to five kilometers. The committee were also responsible for having traffic lights provided in the town and they pushed to have alarms provided for the elderly. Those looking for more information about this superb new community-based organisation can e-mail johnbrodie@iolfree.ie or telephone 049-8448232.