The growth of public hospitals will be curtailed by the construction of private health centres on the same sites, Sinn Féin said today.
The party's health spokesman and leader in the Dail
Caoimhghín O'Caoláin, SF health spokesman
criticised Government plans to allow private developments on public hospital land.
He said the move would create a land bonanza for developers and bring further inequality to the healthcare sector. He took his protests to Dublin's St James's Hospital, where he was joined by party activists Aengus O'Snodaigh TD and Mary Lou McDonald MEP.
Protesters also demonstrated outside another 10 hospital sites across the country, calling for public land and public finances to be used in the public system only.
"Currently there are 11 sites throughout the jurisdiction designated for private hospitals which will benefit from access to public land," said Mr O'Caoláin.
"We believe it is an outrageous waste of public money, public money which should be invested in our public hospital network."
Mr O'Caoláin claimed that a 1 billion investment by a developer would result in a tax break of around 400 million, and only encouraged people whose only motive is profit to get in to the health industry.
"This Government under Mary Harney is completely failing to address the real issues in our health system, particularly the problems in A&E, he added.
"Throughout July, which was one of the finest summers in years, there was an average of 160 patients a day on trolleys. That's an incredible situation. How are they going to cope with the problems that are associated with the winter months?
"The development of the state's public hospitals will be significantly curtailed by the construction of private hospitals on their sites."
Protests were also being held today at Beaumont, James Connolly Memorial and Tallaght Hospitals, Dublin, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Waterford Regional, Cork University, Galway University Hospital, Sligo General and Letterkenny General.
PA