Tim Jackson.
General Election candidate Tim Jackson has urged the Finn Valley community to support Thursday night’s meeting regarding the possible closure of St. Joseph’s Hospital, Stranorlar, after it was confirmed that their long-term beds would be moving to a new Letterkenny facility.
The closure of three Donegal hospitals would be a “massive betrayal of rural Donegal” according to Jackson.
He has called on Minister Joe McHugh to use his position in Government to reverse what appears to be a decision to close Stranorlar, Lifford and Ramelton community hospitals, leaked in a Department of Health press release.
Jackson told Donegal Daily, “The people affected with whom I have spoken are in shock.
“Ultimately it’s the sick and vulnerable people of the Stranorlar, Lifford and Ramelton areas who will suffer.
“Minister McHugh needs to guarantee our communities that this was an error, and that these hospitals will not in fact be closing. The suspicion at the moment is that this news was not meant to come out before the election.
“Decisions like this, being made from the Dublin offices of senior civil servants, show the ivory tower mentality of our current leaders without having held any meaningful local consultations.
If Minister Joe McHugh cannot overturn this decision on behalf of Donegal, it will further expose the futility of having Government TDs in this constituency.
“Patients, staff and communities affected now need urgent answers about this debacle”, Jackson added.
The meeting takes place at 8pm on Thursday 4th February in the Finn Valley Centre.
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