Details have emerged about how the alarm was sounded at Nenagh General Hospital early last Friday morning after a distressed elderly man disappeared from the hospital and became stranded on 30ft scaffolding.
A fire brigade and hydraulic platform were used to rescue the man, who was stretchered from the scaffolding.
Despite "severe pressure because of extra patient numbers" at the North Tipperary Hospital, a Heath Board spokesman denied that overcrowding had anything to do with the incident.
The incident occurred when an elderly patient climbed on to scaffolding from a hospital fire escape and became stranded.
A spokesman for the Mid-Western Health Board confirmed that the elderly patient had been under observation the night before at the hospital and that the incident occurred during the daily morning hand-over.
"The patient, who was described as quite active for his age, made his way down the corridor and through a fire escape on to scaffolding," he said.
"His disappearance was immediately noticed and a porter went on to the scaffolding to assist him." Staff at the hospital alerted the local fire service at approximately 8.30 a.m.
"The hospital is satisfied that staff coped promptly with the incident. The public will be conscious that fire escapes are always kept ready to open from the inside, in the interests of public safety," the spokesman added.