Mayo Sinn Féin Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Hands Off Belmullet Hospital

Published: 18 February, 2010

Rose Conway-Walsh

087 2846830

"Any attempts to downgrade Belmullet Hospital will be strongly resisted" according to Sinn Fein Councillor Rose Conway-Walsh. "It is irreprehensible that Belmullet Hospital will be downgraded or wards will be closed". " The hospital has the capacity for 40 patients but while patients lie on trolleys in Mayo General Hospital 15 beds lie empty in Belmullet".

"There are 22 full time nurses and up to 30 support staff working at this community hospital and providing an excellent quality of care for patients that would otherwise have to be catered for in Mayo General Hospital." "Over the years we have seen continuous erosion of health care services from Erris". "This further erosion is not going to happen".

I am calling for an immediate response from the HSE to allay the fears of staff and the community". " I am also calling for the INO and Siptu to support their members at this very worrying time". " If the HSE want to save money then they should get rid to the hundreds of managers they appointed throughout the country when the HSE was set up". "The 10,000 people in Erris are ready for this fight". "Our community hospital is not going to be a casualty of this Government's mismanagement of the economy".

ENDS