Perhaps Patrick's untimely death may not have been prevented by adequate facilities in Omagh (he was taken to the Erne Hospital in Fermanagh) but once again it has highlighted for many locals an ongoing situation which instils fear and trepidation into pregnant women and families of those with serious illness.

I spoke with Dr Kieran Deeny MLA last week and once again he stressed that "Tyrone people are treated as second-class patients as far as health care provision is concerned.

Even though we in Tyrone live in the largest of the six counties, we are the only county where there are no maternity facilities to allow for the safe deliveries or birth of our children and our babies are regularly being born on the floors of their parent's kitchens or bathrooms, or on the roadside.

Children in 'status epilepticus' (or prolonged life-threatening seizures) now being driven in ambulances past our hospital in Omagh and being allowed to remain in such a life threatening state for up to an hour and more before receiving the appropriate treatment."

With the resumption of the Stormont Assembly, Dr Deeny stressed that "we, in the Health Committee, must ask the Health Minister to explain and justify why his department practices this geographical discrimination when it comes to health care provision."

Those of us in the proximity of Altnagelvin Hospital tend to take its proximity for granted but spare a thought for our neighbours for whom standard health provision is fast becoming a nightmare.