The Irish Hospital Consultants Association say they are very concerned about the increase in the number of people on hospital waiting lists in Cork and the wider region.
The association say the 'severe' shortage of hospital consultants in Cork and the southern region is the main contributor to growing waiting lists and are calling for more investment in hospital capacity in terms of beds and staff.
Over 148,000 people are on a South/Southwest Hospital Group waiting list, according to figures from the Irish Hospital Consultants Association...
The hospital group includes ten hospitals in the sourthern region including six hospitals in Cork.
Speaking to RedFM News, Secretary General of the IHCA Martin Varley says Irish doctors are being offered better conditions in other countries:
"Our specialists and doctors in training even are regarded as being highly capable.
"It's probably again back to the fact that in our hospitals or doctors are on very intensive on call on rosters, they're dealing with very demanding care and that means that they are very capable of when they end up in hospital road.
"They're in high demand and they're being attracted away. It probably slowed down a little bit during the first year of COVID, and it's probably picking back up again."
RedFM News has contacted the South/Southwest Hospital Group for comment.
