Mac Lochlainn repeats appeal for the Minister for Health to visit Letterkenny Hospital and intervene

Donegal Sinn Féin TD, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has repeated his appeal to the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly to visit Letterkenny University Hospital and hear at first hand from the nurses and doctors as well as local health campaign groups about the scale of the crisis there.

He was speaking after it has been revealed that the hospital has the highest numbers of patients on trolleys in the entire State, over the last week at 243. 

Deputy Mac Lochlainn said:

“Every day, we are hearing from families across Donegal about their experience with the emergency department at Letterkenny University Hospital. We are also hearing from the nurses and doctors who are yet again working in impossible conditions.

This crisis is not just about the lacks of beds, nurses and doctors at the hospital. It is also about cancelled hospital appointments and procedures and a growing hospital waiting list. 

My colleagues, Deputy Pearse Doherty and Cllr Gerry McMonagle have spoken out in recent days about the cancellation of services at the cancer clinic for a second week in a row”.

He continued:

“This crisis is not repeated across every hospital in the State. As the figures released last night by the Irish Patient’s Association reveal, the trolley crisis is a particular issue in Letterkenny and across the Saolta Hospital Group in the West of Ireland. 

I and my Sinn Féin colleagues in Donegal have for years now highlighted the blatant funding discrimination against our county’s major hospital.

That is why I am repeating my call to the Minister for Health to intervene now and come to Letterkenny. Listen to the voices of our nurses, doctors and local health campaign groups and to urgently act on their appeals for more resources; for more beds, nurses and doctors”.