The HSE responded that the existing KDoc service in Naas provides a sufficient number of general practitioners, making a second location unviable at present.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has been urged to establish an out-of-hours GP service in Kildare South due to population growth and accessibility concerns.
Currently, the only such service, KDoc, is located at the Vista Primary Care Centre in Naas, Kildare North, requiring lengthy travel for many residents of Kildare South.
Kildare South Labour TD Mark Wall recently raised the issue in a Parliamentary Question, requesting that the HSE consider setting up an after-hours GP service in Athy.
However, the HSE responded that the existing KDoc service in Naas provides a sufficient number of general practitioners, making a second location unviable at present.
Residents in parts of Kildare South currently face travel times of up to 40 minutes by car to reach KDoc, with even longer journeys for those in rural areas who rely on limited public transport options.
The lack of a nearby facility poses challenges, particularly for parents with sick children, according to Deputy Wall.
He pointed to a purpose-built health centre on Dublin Road in Athy as a suitable location for the service, emphasising that the facility remains underutilised.
Senator Wall will discuss this in more detail on tomorrow morning's Kildare Today show.
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