Sinn Féin Donegal North East TD, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn will again seek a Dáil debate tomorrow on the ongoing overcrowding at Letterkenny General Hospital’s Accident and Emergency ward (A&E).
Deputy Mac Lochlainn has described the conditions for patients and staff as “completely unacceptable” after a story about the crisis on donegaldaily.com earlier today.
He also has demanded that the Minister ensures that the necessary financial and personnel resources are immediately provided to the management of the hospital to ensure that the new Accident and Emergency ward nearby is operational as soon as possible.
He said told donegaldaily.com: “Reports from staff and patients alike are clear. The conditions that staff are having to endure once again and the spectacle of patients having to wait for lengthy periods of time for attention, patients on trolleys and patients’ privacy being denied is just completely unacceptable.
“What is even more outrageous is that a spanking new, state of the art, A&E ward with floors of modern wards above it, is lying empty yards away. The staff of Letterkenny General Hospital deserve better and the people of Donegal deserve better.”
The Sinn Fein Deputy Deputy and colleague Pearse Doherty have also sought a meeting with the Regional Director of HSE West, John Hennessy to make the case directly to him for additional funding for Letterkenny General Hospital
“The Minister has to step up to the plate and ensure that the HSE provide the necessary financial and personnel resources are immediately provided to the management of the hospital to ensure that the new Accident and Emergency ward nearby is operational as soon as possible. This vital project has been delayed too long and I am no longer willing to accept excuses,” said MacLochlainn.
He warned: “Hard fought for specialties such as cancer treatment, cardiac, orthopaedic and other departments can not be sacrificed to cuts. We demand equality for Letterkenny General Hospital with an adequate number of consultants, junior doctors and staff to service the population of this county in tandem with General and Regional Hospitals across the state. Our General Hospital has been under funded by millions of euro last year and this is just not sustainable.”
Hospital insiders have told donegaldaily.com that the Government has been appraised of the cost-per-patient ratio at Letterkenny which is “massively below” other hospitals in the state but that this “can be sustained no more.”
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