Fianna Fáil TD for Donegal Charlie McConalogue has lambasted the Health Minister and the HSE for failing to approve funding for Letterkenny University Hospital’s Short Stay Ward.
Labelling the response from Government as a ‘farce’, McConalogue said his questions over funding have been passed off from the Health Minister to LUH to the detriment of patients in Donegal.
Deputy McConalogue has been campaigning for the short stay ward at LUH to be re-opened since the funding application was submitted in the summer of 2017. To date, the funding request remains unanswered.
“I am extremely frustrated at the delay in processing this funding application and the laissez-faire attitude of both the HSE and the Health Minister to patients in Donegal who need to access services at LUH”, said Deputy McConalogue.
“The approval of this funding would dramatically reduce the pressure on our hospital. The application is sensible and accounts for every cent requested.
“I submitted another question to the Minister asking him for an update on the funding application. This question was passed from the Minister to the HSE, which then, in turn, referred it to Letterkenny University Hospital. This is a completely ridiculous situation. Both the Minister and the HSE appear to have washed their hands of the application.
“The farce of directing my Parliamentary Question to LUH management is typical of our dysfunctional health service. How can managers at LUH give an update on the funding application? They are the ones who are waiting to hear back from the HSE.
“The current situation is stark, with overcrowding at LUH reaching record levels this January. Our local Minister, Deputy Joe McHugh, has also been silent on this matter – he needs to press the severity of the situation at our hospital with the Minister for Health and the Taoiseach.
“This ridiculous situation needs to come to an end. I am calling on the Minister, Taoiseach and senior management of the HSE to approve this funding immediately”.
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