A LARGE turnout of
people from Gweedore to Malin Head is being urged
this Friday at a protest against cuts to the NowDoc
out-of-hours GP service.
It has been proposed to reduce night-cover hours in
both the Carndonagh and Gweedore centres and replace
them with two mobile GPs covering the vast northern
half of the county. The new arrangements are to be
tried out over a two-week period.
But there has been widespread opposition to the
proposed changes.
Friday's protest has been organised by Independent
TD., Thomas Pringle, who said the downgrade is
"unacceptable" to the people of the county.
"Only two doctors will service the entire northern
region of Donegal under the new system. This is
unacceptable so I urge people not only to come out
in protest on Friday but to contact their local GP
to let them know they don’t want cuts to the NowDoc
service to happen as it is ultimately the GP's
decision if this change takes place," said Deputy
Pringle.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin TD., Pearse Doherty said a
similar plan mooted some years ago was shown to be
unsafe.
"The projected result was longer waiting times and a
neglect of the island communities. Nothing has
changed since so that outcome is still the likely
one if the cuts go ahead (this) week," he said.
"It is time the HSE and NowDoc stopped gambling with
people’s lives and suspended their curtailment of
the services.”
The protest will take place on August 7, 2015 at 2pm
outside NowDoc headquarters at Letterkenny Business
Park, Oldtown, Letterkenny. |
