INISHOWEN councillor
Pádraig MacLochlainn has accused the HSE of
"spin-doctoring" regarding cuts in staff and
services at Letterkenny General Hospital.
HSE management yesterday confirmed to Sinn Féin
there would be a significant impact on the services
at the hospital’s Day Surgery Unit over the next six
weeks and that 18 nurses would be let go
immediately.
Cllr MacLochlainn said hip replacement operations at
the hospital were withdrawn three weeks ago for a
ten-week period until after Christmas.
Cllr Pádraig MacLochlainn said: “(The HSE) has paid
their chief executive, Brendan Drumm a €70,000 bonus
while implementing profound Government cuts that are
severely affecting services to patients and
resulting in lost front line jobs throughout the
system.
“In Letterkenny General Hospital, the suspension of
hip replacement operations is causing great
distress. Now the HSE are trying to tell us that the
loss of another 18 nurses and the curtailment of
services at the hospital’s Day Surgery Unit over the
next six weeks is no big deal. Who do they think
they are fooling?”
When 33 nursing jobs were cut by Letterkenny
Hospital last September, unions representing front
line staff said the hospital was now delivering the
"minimum possible service to the public in Donegal",
said Cllr MacLochlainn. "That’s how serious this
situation is. There is simply no room for further
cuts at Letterkenny General Hospital. Sinn Féin’s
elected representatives will remain very vigilant
and will continue to take briefings from front line
staff on developments at the hospital and we make no
apology for speaking out against the agenda of Mary
Harney and her friends in the HSE senior
management." |
