Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has stated that the Minister for Health, Simon Harris and the senior management of the HSE are “in denial” about bed closures at Letterkenny University Hospital.
The Sinn Fein politician repeated his call for all 20 beds at Letterkenny Hospital’s Short Stay Ward to be reopened.
He was speaking after it emerged that the HSE declared that there were no closed beds in the hospital in response to a recent parliamentary question submitted to the Minister by Sinn Féin Health Spokesperson, Deputy Louise O’ Reilly.
Senator Mac Lochlainn said this response is astounding and worrying in equal measure.
He said “The people of Donegal have long campaigned for the reopening of the 20 beds in Letterkenny Hospital’s Short Stay Ward. This is vital to tackling the beds crisis in the hospital as well as substantially reducing the huge numbers of Donegal people on trolleys at the hospital rather than a bed in the appropriate ward.
“Last year, the government announced at budget time that the beds would all reopen. Instead, the HSE allocated funding to reopen just 5 beds. We have learned since that the Saolta University Health Care Group reallocated funding to ensure that 10 beds would reopen and no thanks to the Minister or the HSE top brass”.
“Last year, myself and Deputy Pearse Doherty delivered a petition to Minister Simon Harris with thousands of signatures from across Donegal, calling for all 20 beds to reopen.
“The government then assured us all that this call would be heard and that all the beds would reopen but the government have misled the people of Donegal and I and my party colleagues will continue to confront them until all of the 20 beds are reopened”.
Tags: