SOME ELDERLY residents of a nursing home were among a crowd of about 3,000 protesters who braved bitter cold yesterday to rally against its possible closure.
In a letter read to the crowd, Brigid O’Neill (92), saying she did not want to leave friends she had made in the last four years at Abbeyleix Community Nursing Home, called on Minister for Health James Reilly to “leave us in peace”.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) had announced last November it would close the 28 long-stay beds there on a phased basis, while eight respite beds would also be closed. After legal action by three of the residents, including Ms O’Neill, the HSE agreed to engage in consultation.
It announced on Friday this process would begin on May 8th, but would give no details about the terms of reference.
Catherine Kelly (94), who was also a party to the legal action, was upset at the prospect of leaving Abbeyleix after eight years.
“We’re just going to keep this hospital open,” she said, explaining why she was joining the protest. “This is our home and we’re not leaving our home. I don’t want to leave it. I’m very, very happy. We’re looked after the best. We’re all friends, we’re all one big family.”
Marty Rohan of the Friends of Abbeyleix Hospital said no progress had been made in the last six months.
He told how an Abbeyleix man who lived just yards from the hospital was turned down for local respite care and was instead sent to Mountmellick, about 20 miles away and far from his friends and family.
Mr Rohan said he did not want to fight with the Minister, adding the people of Abbeyleix would match what they could in terms of funding to keep the hospital going.
Abbeyleix GP Dr John Madden, medical officer at the nursing home, said it was a role model for community care, with the medical conditions of many residents too complex to be dealt with in the private service.
Fianna Fáil TD Seán Fleming said the information that led to the decision to close the hospital was wrong. There were 63 nursing homes in the State that were more expensive to run than Abbeyleix and he called for the decision to close the beds to be withdrawn.
Government TD Charles Flanagan accepted there was still not full clarity on the hospital’s future, but said progress has been made, particularly with the Minister’s visit to the hospital in January.
He said he would report directly to the Minister about the protest, but said he was more hopeful now and was confident the decision on closure would be reversed.
Brian Maher, chairman of the Abbeyleix and District Hospital Action Committee, said it had already begun consulting people and was getting “very clear indications” from the public, organisations and groups around the county that they supported the hospital remaining open.