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A&E besieged after 99c drinks
promotion
25.10.11
by Linda McGrory
THE HSE has called for a ban on cheap alcohol
promotions after 26 people presented at Letterkenny
Hospital's A&E department in one night with
drink-related conditions.
It is understood many of the 26 patients who
presented at the emergency department had earlier
availed of 99 cent drinks at a local nightspot.
Donegal HSE area manager, John Hayes, said the
executive was "increasingly concerned" about the
low-cost selling of alcohol.
"With this most recent experience in the general
hospital, I truly worry that the situation will
escalate unless action is taken to stop promotions
that fuel our binge drinking culture," said Mr
Hayes.
The hospital's general manager, Sean Murphy, added
that the large surge of alcohol-related admissions
affected waiting times for other patients last
Wednesday night.
"It is unfortunate that on Wednesday night, staff in
the unit had to cope with a large surge in demand
for services on top of the usual workload, largely
attributed to these 26 alcohol-related presentations
that were effectively avoidable.
"This extra demand had a direct impact on the
waiting times for other patients in the department.
Thankfully, we were able to assess and treat all
those who presented with positive outcomes. I would
call however on the key stakeholders in our
community to act now to prevent potentially more
serious harm next time," said Mr Murphy. |
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Letterkenny General Hospital. |
The North West Alcohol
Forum welcomed the HSE's decision to highlight the
"impact of low-cost selling in Letterkenny".
The forum's director, Eamon O'Kane, said "I recently
presented to Letterkenny Town Council on the need
for strategic management of the night-time economy.
The experience of front line staff in the Emergency
Department further evidences this need. The forum
remains committed to working with all local
stakeholders to address this issue."
The Students Union at LYIT declined to comment on
the matter but it is understood they are conducting
an investigation.
Meanwhile, Sergeant Mick Foy at Letterkenny Garda
Station said the incident had also been reported to
them.
"We are going to monitor the sale of cheap drink in
Letterkenny," said Sgt Foy.
Mr Hayes urged all interested parties to work
together to avoid a repeat of the incident.
“There are many people and agencies with a vested
interest in achieving a balanced role for alcohol in
our society," he said.
"I would ask them to engage with the North West
Alcohol Forum and the HSE in a concerted action to
review what is currently happening and to implement
steps that will ensure no repetition of last
Wednesday night. This is a major social challenge
and I hope that others will join with us to address
it," added Mr Hayes. |
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