An Ennistymon woman whose husband died on a trolley in 2018 is accusing the Health Service Executive of having an anti-MidWest bias.
It comes as the HSE has confirmed that no additional acute or ICU beds will be provided to the region’s six hospitals this year.
Responding to a parliamentary question from Independent TD Michael McNamara, the HSE revealed that 411 additional acute beds as well as 36 ICU beds are scheduled to come on stream this year – pending staffing requirements being met.
However, the six facilities within the UL Hospital’s Group will not benefit from any additional capacity.
This is despite University Hospital Limerick consistently having the highest level of overcrowding in the country – with 179 patients left waiting on trolleys the first two days of this week.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation recorded 91 patients waiting for a bed at the Dooradoyle facility on Monday and 88 people this morning.
Today’s figure is 35 higher than the next busiest facility – Univeristy Hospital Galway.
Ennistymon resident and member of the MidWest Hospital Campaign, Marie McMahon feels our Oireachtas representatives have failed to fight for better healthcare in the region.
Echoing the belief that the MidWest is not given priority is Ennis Councillor Ann Norton.
The Barefield native has expressed disappointment over the prioritisation of Dublin by the Health Service Executive in the allocation of additional beds.
Councillor Norton feels the issues that exist at the region’s main hospital centre largely around a lack of bed capacity.
Former member of the HSE’s Regional Health Forum West, Ann Norton, says best practice would indicate that we need more beds.
