A second vigil is being planned at Letterkenny University Hospital to protest against the current heath crisis.
The Still Waiting Health Campaign will hold a vigil outside LUH this Friday, April 14th, from 5pm. The gathering is one of 18 events taking place outside hospitals nationwide.
Organisers say that the purpose of the vigil will be “to protest the loss of innocent life caused by endless years of austerity”.
Dr Fergal Hickey of the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine said that around 350 people could die needlessly in Irish hospitals this year due to a lack of adequate resources. Campaigners say they want to see a ‘meaningful and real change’ in the Irish health system.
The group said it is advocating for:
- The resignation of the health minister, Simon Harris who has been complicit with the falsifying of waiting list numbers.
- Significant investment in order to raise the number of acute hospital beds to the European average.
- Increase the numbers of nurses and frontline staff to pre-crisis levels.
- Move towards a National Health Care system free at the point of use and paid for through progressive taxation.
The group said that current pay structures and work conditions will not attract the number of frontline healthcare workers needed to alleviate the crisis in Ireland’s health system.
A public meeting will take place in the Orchard Inn, Letterkenny, on Wednesday night (12th April) at 8pm ahead of this week’s protest. Speakers include Don McGuinness and Cyril Brennan.
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