INDEPENDENT politicians
have today slammed the closure of the antenatal
clinic at Dungloe Community Hospital saying it
called into question the future of similar
facilities around Donegal including Inishowen.
Independent TD Thomas Pringle and his council
colleague Cllr Michael Cholm MacGiolla Easpuig said
the closure was a 'huge blow' that heaped pressure
on mothers and their partners by forcing them to
travel to Letterkenny for clinics that had been
provided locally.
"Expectant parents will have added cost of travel
and could have to rely on patchy public transport to
access these vital clinics. It is totally
unacceptable that the hospital should close this
clinic' said Cllr MacGiollaEaspuig.
Deputy Pringle added: "For Letterkenny General
Hospital to withdraw this clinic is a disgrace and
they should immediately reinstate it now. This
decision calls into question the future of antenatal
clinics around the county and Letterkenny General
Hospital need to clarify now what their intentions
are."
Meanwhile, there are 23 patients on trolleys at
Letterkenny General Hospital today as overcrowding
continues.
The figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives'
Organisation show there are currently 401 patients
waiting for a bed today nationally, compared to just
over 600 on Tuesday. |
