Night staff at Monaghan hospital had to telephone and wake the manager of Cavan hospital at home at 3 am on Sunday because staff there would not admit a patient Monaghan staff believed was in need of urgent surgery.
Kevin Molloy, the manager of Cavan General Hospital, had to be got out of his bed to intervene in the row about the transfer of the patient from Monaghan General Hospital. In the event, the patient was transferred and treated.
The incident occurred just two days after staff in Monaghan failed in their attempt to transfer another patient, Patrick Joseph Walsh (75), Killanny, Carrickmacross, to Cavan hospital to be operated on for a bleeding ulcer. He bled to death.
Cavan hospital, it was claimed, refused to accept Mr Walsh in the early hours of Friday morning, stating that it did not have an intensive care bed for him. It has since emerged, however, that an intensive care bed was vacant in Cavan hospital at the time. An independent investigation is under way into his death.
When Mr Molloy was contacted last Sunday morning, he instructed staff in Cavan hospital to accept the patient.
Monaghan hospital sought the transfer because it is not allowed to carry out emergency surgery.
Staff at Monaghan hospital took the unusual step of telephoning the most senior administrator in Cavan hospital because they were said to be upset about having to watch Mr Walsh bleed to death 48 hours earlier when they could not find another hospital to accept him.
They were determined, sources said, to ensure the life of another patient was not put in jeopardy. The Health Service Executive Northeast Area confirmed last evening that Mr Molloy had intervened.