Posted online: Aug 3rd, 2010

Inishowen urged to support protest rally against hospital cuts

The people of Inishowen have been urged to turn out in force at a march and rally taking place this weekend in protest at proposed cutbacks at Letterkenny General Hospital.

The demonstration, organised by the newly formed Save Donegal Health Services Campaign Group, will take place in Letterkenny this Saturday amid fears 125 staff, including nurses and care assistants, are to lose their jobs as a result of a reported eight million euro overspend at the hospital.

While some staff at the hospital have claimed they have been informed they are to lose their jobs, management has said “nothing is agreed as yet” although they conceded if “immediate action” was not taken to reduce costs there could be a requirement for “severe actions” to be taken later in the year.

Culdaff woman, Noelle Duddy of Cancer Care NorthWest CCC(NW), one of the groups involved in the protest campaign, said the demonstration was being held to “help defend our public hospital and community health services.”

Speaking to the Inish Times last night, she urged the people of Inishowen to attend in the same numbers as they did in May 2006, when 15,000 people took to the streets to successfully fight the removal of cancer care services.

She said: “We are asking people to come out again. The stakes are much higher this time. The proposed cuts Letterkenny hospital is being asked to make, through no fault of their own, are from central HSE and will have major ramifications on Letterkenny providing proper health care services.”

She added: “We cannot afford to stay silent and remain sitting on the fence regarding the future of our public health service. Sitting on the fence ensures the satus quo is preserved. A culture of silence must not be allowed to be developed.”

Ms. Duddy said there were concerns proposed cutbacks will include a reduction in the operating hours of the hospital’s mortuary.

She said: “We are concerned management in Letterkenny are having to consider taking drastic actions to save money that they are considering closing the mortuary on a Saturday.

“This begs the question – when a person dies what are their loved ones meant to do? Do we have to plan the deaths of our loved ones? CCC(NW) are of the opinion that these problems are central to the Government, Department of Finance, Department of Health, senior civil servants and senior HSE members who are much, much  removed from the frontline workers working in Letterkenny hospital.”

She concluded: “We implore people, please, please attend this public demonstration – it is a window of opportunity to halt these draconian cuts.”

Those attending Saturday’s rally are asked to meet at the Station Roundabout at 12.00 noon.