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Danger attached to disabled space

This article is from page 2 of the 2013-06-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG

THE HSE reported it repaired an open gully adjacent to a disabled parking space at a health clinic after a man fell and hurt his ankle two weeks ago.

Tom Clifford from Killaloe was attending the clinic on Bindon Street, Ennis with his wife who is a wheelchair user when the incident happened. Mr Clifford, who is also co chair of the Mid West regional Hospital Limerick Hospital Patient Forum described how he parked in the disabled space and went around to the back of the car to retrieve his wife’s wheelchair from the boot.

“There was a part of the ground which I thought was just covered in leaves, but when I stood on it I discovered it was covering a hole as I fell,” explained Mr Clifford who hurt his ankle in the incident.

He said he then went into the HSE clinic with his wife and reported the incident.

“I was told by staff that they were aware of the issue,” he said.

On leaving the clinic Mr Clifford moved the car forward of the parking space before attempting to put the wheelchair back in the boot.

He slipped again, this time on depressions in the parking space and hurt his hip.

“I have a sprained ankle and my hip is very sore and I have lost two nights sleep,” Mr Clifford said.

He told the Clare People that he was not going to sue the HSE over the incident but believed it needed to be rectified as soon as possible.

“If a disabled person with some mobility had driven into that space and fell while attempting to get their wheelchair, they would not have been able to get themselves back up. They would be left there for a long time because they would be hidden from public view behind the car,” added Mr Clifford who also works in the disability sector.

In response to a query from The Clare People a HSE spokesperson said, “Remedial action has been taken to cover the gulley/drainage area and to improve the general surface of the parking space area” following an investigation of the condition of the parking space.

“The above incident was reported by telephone on May 27, 2013 to the HSE offices. We were advised that a man had slipped into a drainage area that was covered with leaves and hurt his ankle when parked in the Disabled Parking Space at Ennis Health Centre while attending an appointment with his wife. He requested attention to the problem to avoid a further incident of this nature,” she said. She added that no previous incident of this nature had been reported.

“Existing Ramp Access into the Health Centre is currently under review and an upgrade design scheme will be developed over the next few months,” she concluded.

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