HOSPITAL campaigners are set to turn up the heat on TDs – and have demanded a meeting with Health Minister Dr James Reilly.
Donegal Action for Cancer Care are calling on our Donegal Oireachtas Members to now publicly state what they are prepared to do to protect services at Letterkenny General Hospital.
It is a fortnight since DACC highlighted their concerns regarding the possible downgrading of the hospital by the constant chipping away at services and budget shortfalls.
Campaigner Betty Holmes said: “We were accused by some at the time of scare mongering, but since that we have had the General Manager at the hospital admit this situation – and also Prof John Crown agree with DACC – that cancer services are not secure when other services are impacted on.
“DACC believe that an audit of A& E is currently underway at LGH giving cause for fears that the unit will have it’s opening hours reduced.
“Politician’s can tell us they are fighting for the hospital but we now need them to tell us publicly what actually they doing and more importantly what they are prepared to do.
“It is vital that those who were elected by the people of Donegal to do a job, now tell us what they will do to protect the hospital. We now need real actions.”
DACC have requested an overdue urgent meeting with Dr James O’ Reilly & Mr Cathal Magee and are asking that that meeting be in Donegal where interested parties can attend.
DACC has set out its concerns as follows:
* We are not prepared to have the serious and indeed critical situation left as it is.
* We are not prepared to have our hospital left with the “crumbs from the table”.
* We are not prepared to have Letterkenny General Hospital punished for it’s high performance.
* We will not allow Donegal patients to suffer for Government’s failures.
* We will not let the Government & HSE downgrade our destroy our hospital services.
THE following is the letter sent to Dr Reilly:
Re: meeting request in Dublin or Donegal re impact of budget shortfalls at LGH
Dear Minister O’ Reilly,
We DACC are calling on you to meet please with us DACC, Donegal Oireacthtas Members & other interested parties as a matter of urgency to clarify how you will address budget the impact of budget shortfalls at Letterkenny General Hospital.
* We are not prepared to have the serious and indeed critical situation left as it is.
* We are not prepared to have our hospital left with the “crumbs from the table”.
* We are prepared to have Letterkenny General Hospital punished for it’s high performance.
* We will not allow Donegal patients to suffer for Governments failures.
* We will not let you & the Government downgrade our destroy our hospital services.
We are prepared to go to Dublin at relatively short notice such is this meetings importance but it should really happen in Donegal.
We are not again prepared to just receive an acknowledgement letter stating that our letter will “brought to the Ministers attention”
We expect an immediate reply with a date for this overdue meeting.
As the situation at Letterkenny General Hospital does not appear to be a priority on the National agenda, we in DACC now have to look at how we the people can address this.
Hard signed copy will be in Monday’s post.
___________________
Betty Holmes, Chairperson.
CC: Junior Minister Dinny Mc Ginley, Deputy Joe Mc Hugh, Deputy Padraig Mc Lochlainn, Deputy Charlie Mc Connalogue, Deputy Pearse Doherty, Deputy Thomas Pringle, Senator Brian O’ Domhnaill, Senator Jimmy Harte, Mr Sean Murphy, General Manger LGH.
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