Fianna Fáil TD Charlie McConalogue has said the lack of investment across the health services in Donegal is causing patients to suffer under poor diagnoses and poor outcomes.
The Donegal TD has today lashed the government’s record of investment at Letterkenny University Hospital as an abject failure and said the people of Donegal are fed up with being treated as second-class citizens when it comes to healthcare.
“From the first few days of the election campaign it is clear to see that health is a major issue here in Donegal and there can be no doubt that the government’s record when it comes to Letterkenny University Hospital has been nothing short of an abject failure,” Deputy McConalogue said.
Deputy McConalogue said as recently as November, An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, insisted there was no recruitment ban in place at the hospital, when the reality on the ground was entirely different.
What’s more Deputy McConalogue insisted, the lack of investment in services and recruitment has had a knock-on impact on every aspect of the hospital services in the county.
“When Fine Gael came to power in 2011, 539 people spent time on trollies over the course of the year in Letterkenny University Hospital. Since then, they have held the Health portfolio every year and that number had risen phenomenally year on year to 5,727 at the end of 2019 – that’s an increase of over 900%.”
The Fianna Fáil TD said that Letterkenny University Hospital is vital to the county of Donegal and the staff at the hospital does a tremendous job in difficult circumstances.
“The failure of the government and the HSE to properly support and resource the hospital means patients in Donegal continue to face poor diagnoses and poor patient outcomes as a result of ever-increasing waiting lists.”
Deputy McConalogue says investment in Letterkenny University Hospital must come hand in hand with investment in community hospitals in Carndonagh, Buncrana, Ramelton, Lifford and St. Joseph’s in Stranorlar.
“The provision of step down beds and respite beds in our community hospitals will not only allow patients in long-term care the opportunity to be closer to their families, it will also free up beds in Letterkenny University Hospital.”
The Donegal TD said the lack of investment across the health services in Donegal, has managed to escalate the trolley crisis in the county to unprecedented levels.
“It is unacceptable that people in Donegal face potential death by geography and if elected I will continue to fight for investment and recruitment to ensure departments such as a Stroke Unit, Urology, Rheumatology, Neurology and Mental Health and others, are all properly resourced, available and adequately funded,” he concluded.
