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30 November 2015

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Chaos in hospitals is 'uncivilised and unacceptable'

Demonstrators call for Government action on the Trolley Crisis at University Hospital Waterford

DEMONSTRATIONS were held at hospitals across the state at the weekend as part of a Sinn Féin 'Weekend of Action' calling on the Government to tackle the overcrowding and trolley crisis in Irish hospitals.

Speaking at the Mater Hospital, Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald said her local hospital was short at least 100 nursing posts:

“The emergency department is under massive pressure, and we have a government and a minister for health for whom this seems to be acceptable. For people who use the hospital services, this is not an acceptable position,” she told An Phoblacht.

She accused Health Minister Leo Varadkar of blaming the individual hospitals for the crisis:

“We have this chaos in our hospital because of government policy. Their big idea of Universal Health Insurance has now been thrown in the bin. So now we’re left with a government with no plan, no clue, and it seems, no concern for the fact that people come to the hospitals and actually suffer, lying on trolleys,” she said.

Describing the situation as 'uncivilised and unacceptable', the Dublin Central TD said:

“They need to take control of this situation and accept that their policies have consequences - consequences of which are felt by children who have had their appointments cancelled or elderly people who turn up at their emergency department and don’t know whether they’ll be offered the chair or the floor.

“We need a sense of priority from the government and that has been sorely lacking. The government need to take action - they need to recruit, they need to invest and they need to do so as a matter of utmost urgency.”

Hospital Protest Mater

  • Sinn Féin TDs Dessie Ellis and Mary Lou McDonald protest outside the Mater Hospital along with local councillors and residents

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