Sinn Féin health spokesperson and Cavan-Monaghan Dáil Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin has described as “reprehensible” new HSE plans to further downgrade services at Monaghan General Hospital by closing the Minor Injuries Unit at weekends and after 5pm on weekday evenings He has made a direct appeal to the Fine Gael Deputies in the constituency to demand that Health Minister James Reilly intervene and prevent any such downgrading.
The Monaghan Hospital Alliance campaign group held an emergency meeting on the issue on Tuesday night, where it was decided that Fine Gael TDs and councillors would be approached and asked where they stood on the issue and what lengths they were prepared to go to in order to change the Government’s policy on Monaghan.
Warning that many people would suffer if the opening hours at the Minor Injuries Unit are reduced as planned, and that some might even pay with their lives, the Alliance has also pledged to continue working at a national level to build up a strong lobby group representing various local hospitals around the country. While pubic protests have not been ruled in or out, the campaign group intends to gauge the level of support from Monaghan people for any actions it may decide upon.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael TD Sean Conlan told Northern Sound radio on Monday that any proposal to cut the opening hours of the injuries unit was coming from the HSE.
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