Reports from Letterkenny Hospital are deeply worrying - Sinn Féin
Published: 27 July, 2010
Reports from Letterkenny Hospital are deeply worrying - Sinn Féin
Commenting on reports today from Letterkenny General Hospital (LGH) staff about job losses and ward closures, Sinn Féin Donegal County Councillor, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has described the situation as "deeply worrying".
The jobs of to 100 so called "temporary" staff, who have not served over four years and do not have permanent contracts, are under serious threat and a number of wards are threatened with short term closure and possibly longer.
Cllr Mac Lochlainn said:
"Are Mary Harney and the HSE seriously suggesting to the people of Donegal that these savage cuts and more to come in the budget will maintain the levels of professionalism required from a modern health service?. How are the management and staff at LGH supposed to cope with this HSE directive?"
"Apparently, a large number of nurses are included amongst those losing their jobs. Where does that leave the nursing department at Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT)? Where now for the vision of top quality nurses trained to the specific requirements of the Irish health service? This is an outrage".
"The staff are just devastated across the hospital today. One staff member described the atmosphere as "like a funeral parlour". They deserve better than this. A delegation from my party including Senator Pearse Doherty, Cllrs Gerry McMonagle, Mick Quinn, and myself, met with hospital management a few months back and we expressed our view then and I repeat it now that they share our commitment to the people of Donegal and their entitlement to a top quality modern health service. The hospital management are not to blame for this debacle. The responsibility lies full square at the door of this Government, Minister Mary Harney, and her pals in senior HSE management".
ENDS
Tel Pádraig @ 087 2771958
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