Mesh Survivors Ireland have accused Health Minister Stephen Donnelly of ignoring them.
The use of mesh is a global medical scandal that has left countless women in searing and incurable pain.
Mesh Survivors Ireland has been active since 2017 but spokesperson Terri Martin said they have heard nothing from the current Minister.
“Stephen Donnelly isn’t even saying anything,” she told The Pat Kenny Show.
“I’ve tried to correspond with Stephen Donnelly since he has been in power and I haven’t had so much as a courtesy acknowledgement email.
“We do deal with Leinster House; there's a lot of support from different members from different parties and we appreciate them all.”
Last June, the group had a meeting with the Oireachtas Health Committee and were expecting a call back but have heard nothing since.
Yesterday, the group held a protest outside Leinster House and hope it will persuade the committee to get in touch with them again.
“Really, yesterday was just hoping that we will get our callback this autumn when they come back from their summer recess,” Ms Martin said.
There is no official data on how many women have been impacted by the use of mesh but there are around 600 women in Mesh Survivors Ireland’s Facebook group.
“We were told it [the mesh] would be a support following incontinence, following childbirth,” she said.
“It was going to solve all our problems, it was the gold standard, in and out in a day from the surgery and you could restart your life and get back to doing your daily living.
“However, things went horribly wrong and there were lots of complications from it that caused chronic pain, bleeding, cutting through vital organs, mental health problems, mobility problems, the list is endless.”
The group first began to lobby the Government in 2017 and Ms Martin said they are “so grateful” for the work then-Minister for Health did for them.
He commissioned a report in 2018 that came back with recommendations but Ms Martin feels it has had little practical impact on survivors’ lives.
“All of the recommendations are all being met, the implementation plans from the HSE are all being ticked but at ground level to the patient, nothing is after coming back,” she said.
“We’re all still the same as we were in 2017.”
In 2019, the Government ruled out a redress scheme.
In a statement to Newstalk, the Department of Health said:
"Since complications for women following surgical mesh treatment first emerged, it has been a priority for the Department of Health to ensure that all women experiencing mesh related complications receive high quality, multi-disciplinary and patient-centred care. Women’s health remains a key priority for the Government and the Department of Health continue to focus on prioritising the care needs of women affected by mesh related complications.
"Multidisciplinary specialist services for women suffering from mesh complications are available via the HSE National Mesh Complications Service, based at Cork University Hospital (CUMH) and the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) Dublin. In 2020, funding of €500,000 per hospital was approved for CUMH and the NMH to establish these mesh specialist centres, and this service has been fully operational since 1st September 2021.
"In addition, in recent years, there has been significant investment to improve, reform and stratify our gynaecology services. This process is ongoing and involves the implementation of more targeted, integrated and specialised gynaecology service developments across our maternity networks, which includes the development of ambulatory gynaecology clinics, specialist menopause clinics, Regional Fertility Hubs, as well as the ongoing development of two supra-regional complex services for endometriosis in the Tallaght and Cork, which are supported by five regional endometriosis hubs.
"Allied to these broader reforms, investment has also enabled the implementation of additional pelvic floor physiotherapy and clinical nurse specialist services in each of the maternity networks, which builds on the development of the National Mesh Specialist Service and the ongoing work to implement the recommendations from the CMO’s Report.
"As work continues to progress in relation to mesh implants, the patient voice is central to our understanding of these, and similar, issues. Listening to the experiences of women affected by mesh remains a key priority for the Minister and his Department. Work continues to progress to advance the development of an independent and compassionate engagement for women affected by mesh to have their voices heard."
Main image: Mesh Survivors Ireland outside Leinster House.
