This article is from page 2 of the 2007-09-25 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
THE route of the Ennis General Hos- pital Committee’s protest rally has been changed to a public march, as confusion reigns over commitments given by Minister Mary Harney to Clare’s five mayors on Thursday Ee
Mayor of Clare Patricia McCarthy, who attended the hour-long meeting with the Health Minister, said that 24-hour consultant-led accident and emergency services would be lost from the hospital eventually.
In its place, the minister hoped to see a 24-hour A&E service, with a consultant on site for a certain number of hours every day, hours yet
to be decided.
Cllr McCarthy said the minister was looking to the Canadian model of GP coverage for the remainder of those hours.
“We made it very clear to her that nurse-led was not acceptable,’ she ALOE
“Never did she mention that we Should not have 24-hour A&E,” said the first citizen of Clare.
A statement from the Ennis Gen- eral Hospital Development Commit- tee said that last week the “minister announced a consultant led 24-hour accident and emergency at Ennis General Hospital will close and be replaced by a nurse-led minor injury unit, which will close at night”.
“If Ms Harney’s “vision” comes about, it will lead to at least 20 people dying needlessly every year in Coun- ty Clare. It’s a bloody nightmare,” said Peadar McNamara, chairman of the committee.
Meanwhile, Saturday’s rally has changed due to a range of difficul- ties, including public liability insur- ance cover, to a protest march from Cusack Park to The Square. People are asked to assemble at 11.30am be- fore marching to The Square via the Tulla Road, New Road, Newbridge Road, Harmony Row, Bindon Street and Bank Place. Speeches will start in the square at lpm and end at ap- proximately 2pm.
Ennis Town Councillor Tom Glynn
(FF) has said he feels betrayed and upset by his “misplaced trust in those obviously couched and hallow prom- ises” of his party and has called on the people of Ennis to support the march.
“If you believe we in Clare deserve and require full and acute 24-hour accident and emergency services in our local hospital that fully meet with the needs of our community at all times of the day and night, please join in the protest rally with family and friends,” he said.
Local TD Joe Carey (FG) is also lending support. “I am asking that people rightly vent their anger at this decision and make their feelings public.”