“The HSE is on its knees; reopen our three A&Es” is the call echoing around University Hospital Limerick this afternoon.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is visiting the region’s main hospital today and protestors from across the Midwest have turned up to make their voices heard.
Although he made an unannounced visit to the Midwest facility last night, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly is at University Hospital Limerick once again today.
It comes on a day when 101 admitted patients were left waiting on trolleys during morning rounds, according to figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.
While Minister Donnelly has been inspecting the facility, protestors from the likes of the Midwest Hospital Campaign Group have been reiterating calls for change.
Ennistymon native and group member Marie McMahon, whose husband passed away on a trolley at UHL in 2018 believes the visit is nothing more than a public relations exercise.
The Minister has previously stated his opposition to reopening the A&Es at Ennis, Nenagh and St. John’s.
Limerick Sinn Fein TD Maurice Quinlivan however believes if it will solve the crisis, reopening the facilities is what should be done.
Today’s events come just days before the visit of the Oireachtas Health Committee to the Dooradoyle Facliliy.
Tanya McMahon of the Nenagh Needs Its A&E group hopes it becomes clear than the facility isn’t safe for staff or patients.
21-year-old Eve Cleary died in 2019 after being discharged from UHL.
Her mother, Melanie Sheehan-Cleary, hopes change is coming so no family has to go through what she and hers have had to endure.
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