Hundreds protest over conditions at Donegal hospital

Hundreds have marched in Co Donegal in protest at conditions at Letterkenny University Hospital.

The large crowd marched from the hospital to Market Square in the town where a rally was held on Saturday. The Still Waiting Campaign were demonstrating in response to increasing numbers left on trolleys.

It was also in response to figures that show that a full-capacity protocol has been implemented at the hospital on 242 occasions in 2017.

Among those who attended the protest rally were TDs Pearse Doherty of Sinn Féin, Independent Thomas Pringle, Sinn Féin Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Mayor of Donegal Sinn Féin Cllr Gerry McMonagle.

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Organiser Cyril Brennan said people wanted doctors, nurses and all those who worked in the hospital to know that they backed them.

“However, the reality is that our services at the hospital are being downgraded . . . and Donegal really is the forgotten county,” he said.

Urology deficit

Betty Holmes, of Donegal Action for Cancer Care, revealed that 108 patients have so far received treatment in a cross-Border agreement with Derry’s Altnagelvin hospital. But she said services such as urology have been lost at Letterkenny because of deliberate downgrading.

Senator Mac Lochlainn said Letterkenny University Hospital was the sixth largest in the country with 23,000 patients being treated each year. “Other hospitals are receiving three to four times as much money as us. We are being shafted,” he said.

Mr Pringle claimed it was no coincidence that there were no Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil representatives at the protest rally.

“People have said here today that politics and politicians don’t matter, but I disagree with that. It was Fianna Fáil who closed the beds and it is Fine Gael who are keeping them shut,” he added.