MORE THAN 1,000 people assembled outside Leinster House yesterday in protest at the decision to close the emergency department at Roscommon hospital.
Although there was a GAA final atmosphere among the crowd, many of whom wore county colours and waved flags, the anger of those present was clear. Busloads of people travelled from Roscommon to voice their protest, some carrying white crosses, while others held aloft homemade placards. “To hell or to Connaught,” read one. “This is a matter of life and death,” said another.
One protester, Martin McLoughlin, who suffered a stroke five years ago, said he would not be alive today were it not for the hospital’s services. “They saved my life,” he said. “There’s an awful lot of anger in Roscommon over this. The anger is unreal.”
Gerry Geraghty of Knockcroghery said without the hospital a member of his family would not be alive now, “pure and certain, no two ways about it”.
Dr John Keenan, a GP in Roscommon town, said the fear of the protesters was well-founded. “There’s no doubt lives are saved there every day of the week, never mind once or twice a year.”
Paramedic John Gill from Boyle, a member the National Ambulance Service Representative Association, said talk of an extra ambulance for the county was “tokenism”. “They have offered an ambulance on at night. They have offered advanced paramedics and a car . . . but they’re expecting paramedics to do the work of consultants, of junior doctors and of A&E staff.”
Roscommon TD Denis Naughten addressed the protesters prior to a Dáil vote on a motion by Sinn Féin to retain emergency services at smaller hospitals. He said he was awaiting clarification on a number of issues from Minister for Health James Reilly. “Unless I get the clarification, it will be very difficult for me to support the Government at half eight this evening.”
After the vote there were cheers at the announcement that Mr Naughten had voted for the motion, but there were boos as the crowd heard that Boyle native and Fine Gael TD Frank Feighan had voted with the Government.
