Surgery abroad saved Kildare man from disability

IT is plain to see that Ireland’s healthcare system is under immense pressure, with long waiting lists and a shortage of medical professionals available in our hospitals and clinics.

That’s why some people are opting for companies such as Healthcare Abroad, an EU Cross Border Healthcare Directive, which ensures people get medical treatment abroad, reimbursed by the HSE.

Construction worker, Martin Morgan, from Monasterevin found Healthcare Abroad in a time of great need.

After injuring his back during the Covid-19 lockdown he was turned away from A&E over the phone and instructed to “lay on the floor and take painkillers”.

“That's what I was told,” he said. "And I was like that for about three or four months.” 

At the time, his wife had been awaiting a hysterectomy for five years, and that is when they found out about this service from their local pharmacist.

After a lot of initial scepticism, they ultimately decided to go ahead with it.

While visiting HCB Denia hospital in Spain for his wife’s surgery, he was approached and asked if he would like to get his back looked at, to which he agreed.

After setting up a consultation and scheduling an MRI, it was found that Martin’s back injury was a lot more serious than the “wear and tear” his Irish private healthcare provider had diagnosed him with.

Martin began seeking advice on his injury with Healthcare Abroad on May 2021, and by 3 June he was in the operation theatre in Denia receiving surgery for his back problems – something completely unheard of in the Irish healthcare system.

“I rang them on the Thursday. I was on the plane on the Sunday and being operated on by the Tuesday,” said Martin.

Recalling the review of the MRI scan with a doctor in Denia, Martin said: “She said, the vertebrae is actually crushing your main nerve down your leg. And she says, you need urgent surgery.” 

Had Martin not gone ahead with the surgery, he would have eventually been left wheelchair bound due to his injuries.

Later, when problems developed with his shoulders, Martin went back to Spain for treatment with Healthcare Abroad, where he received the same level of professional care he experienced before.

“It was absolutely five-star. The hospital was actually as nice as the hotel. It was a suite with a built-in wardrobe, flat screen TV, big en suite, vanity unit. If you wanted a painkiller or something, push the bell, they're in straight away.” 

Martin has introduced the service to loved ones – with many members of his family opting for care through this route.

Working in construction, Martin explained how he is indebted to this service, which allowed him to continue with his profession.

Martin said: “If I didn’t use it for my back, I’d be in a wheelchair. And if I didn’t use it for my shoulders, I couldn’t work. I would probably be on disability.”