Lyme disease treatment unit ruled out at University Hospital Kerry

sale and Douglas, County Cork, where he worked for 18 years. He met his wife, Amba, in Kinsale.

In 2014 Leon and Amba moved to New Zealand to spend some time with Leon’s family and to provide Amba the opportunity to experience New Zealand lifestyle and culture. While in New Zealand Leon worked at two busy chiropractic clinics in Hastings and Waipukurau.

After eight years in New Zealand, Leon, Amba returned to Ireland making Killarney their new home.

“The outdoor lifestyle and proximity to amazing beaches were a definite plus, while still having a busy town with great venues, restaurants and events on offer,” said Amba. The name Kaha Chiropractic honours and reflects Leon’s Maori heritage.

Appointments can be made online through www.kahachiropractic.ie or by calling the clinic on 085 1429304.

It is hugely disappointing that the Health Service Executive refuse to recognise the need for a dedicated Testing and Treatment Centre for Lyme disease at University Hospital Kerry, according to Fianna Fáil Councillor Michael Cahill.

Councillor Cahill has received a negative response to his call for such a facility from the HSE Area Director of Public Health, who concludes that “a dedicated testing and treatment centre in University Hospital Kerry would not be feasible at this time.”

“In a typically long winded response from the HSE, which gives great detail of the danger posed in contracting Lyme disease, a dedicated Testing and Treatment Centre at University Hospital Kerry is ruled out, due to lack of supporting statistical evidence, in a short paragraph at the end. This is despite the fact that they confirm deer have been identified as primary hosts of the ticks that carry this disease and that people may come in contact with them from ‘grassy fronds in particular in infested environments,” said Councillor Cahill.

“Killarney National Park and surrounding areas is home to an extremely large Deer herd, and deer are recognised as primary carriers of the tick that can spread Lyme disease. It is obvious then that they infest the grass where the deer live and feed and that they pose a risk to humans who frequent the area. In Kerry, you face a higher risk of contracting Lyme disease due to the presence of large numbers of deer and all the statistics in the world will not disprove that.”

“The Health and Safety Executive need to join the real world and recognise the very obvious evidence, that Lyme disease is at high levels in Kerry, is difficult to diagnose and is difficult and expensive to treat. A dedicated Testing and Treatment Centre in University Hospital Kerry, not alone makes sense but is urgently required there. The effects of Lyme on those infected is horrendous and I will not rest until it is taken seriously.”

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