Members of the Our St. Joseph’s Hospital Action Group have called on the Government not to replace the Community Nursing, Residential and Dementia Units at the Stranorlar facility.
It follows a meeting of the group this week at which a number of resolutions were passed.
Among them was the call for a reversal of the Kathleen Lynch decision of February, 2016 in relation to the proposed replacement of the units at St Josephs.
Chairperson of the group, Fr John Joe Duffy said a new plan must be put in place for the hospital.
He said “We are seeking a new plan and funding that will safeguard these units into the long-term future for the decades ahead with the necessary Capital funding to be put in place immediately.
“The Government, the Department of Health and the HSE have to frontload a plan for St. Josephs and the existing Community Nursing, Dementia and Residential Care Units so that our community CNU, Dementia and Residential care Units are future proofed for the next two generations.
“This is essential for increasing age demographics and caring for the elderly in the hearts of their own communities. We need to see cash up front, plans in place a shovel in the ground at St. Josephs, Stranorlar.”
He added the group are also seeking a Departmental inquiry into why this decision to replace the Community Nursing, Residential and Dementia Units at St. Josephs was made and who was involved in that decision.
He said “We are seeking in this inquiry why there has been so many fake and false announcements made by the Government in Donegal and the HSE regionally. The cost of the Rhatigan report and who was responsible for the decisions to commission it and the scrap it. Why was it commissioned and why was it scrapped.
“We also wish to have the announcements and contradictions of Minister Jim Daly examined and his role over the last 4 years in relation to these units and his announcements in the media and at a Fine Gael meeting in Jackons Hotel, Ballyboyfey attended by the HSE in relation to St. Joseph’s Hospital Stranorlar.”
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