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| Fighting the good fight for the nations health |
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It has been confirmed for us this week that Monaghan will lose all acute medicine, ICU, 24/7 A & E, and be reduced to 48 beds for rehabilitation and care for the elderly.
I said in 2002 that within five years, if the Government got its way, Monaghan would be a 'Glorified Nursing Home'. Our efforts delayed it by one year.
We are told that we will have two 'Land Rovers' with advanced paramedics on board in Monaghan (not at the hospital it seems) who will rush to any emergency and treat at the scene, but call an ambulance if they think it required. They will be capable of administering drugs, including thrombolysis, at the scene and will avoid admission to hospital if possible.
If hospital is needed the ambulance will take the patient to Cavan or Drogheda or somewhere there is space.
Just imagine the delay.
Just imagine the outcomes for patients.
Just imagine the problems for families when the paramedic says -we are taking the patient no where - you look after him/her or call the doctor!!!
In such cases community nurses will be needed but they are not there so ....
Just imagine the deaths that will result but the patient's family will never be able to prove that it was lack of services that caused the death.
We know - we had it before for at least 17 patients who died on the road or shortly after arriving in a distant hospital.
That time they had to go back and put us back on call for medicine but there have been deaths since then that we can attribute to long journeys to hospitals where the patient was involved in an accident. Had they been brought to Monaghan for stabilisation they might have survived. There were many who did during the same time but they either presented in private transport or were taken there because the ambulance personnel made the decision against orders.
We are fighting the good fight - but it is far from over. The lives of those who can be saved must be our aim. After all it could be me or a family member.
This is a political decision. This Government through its privatisation policy, and attempts to run down the Public System to facilitate that, is constantly creating markets and constantly pandering to the needs of vested interests, empire builders and investors.
The only thing that is going to change this is strength in numbers and a sustained attack on the Government members representing areas under threat.
The local elections next year give us an opportunity but two hospital areas are not sufficient - we need numbers and we need support from other groups like The Public Health Campaign, etc etc.
We also need to give a sharp electric shock to the other areas who are either unaware or unconcerned and that need to change or it is Government who will give them the shock.
People still depend on us to fight for their lives. We have felt devastated on many occasions but we are and will continue to fight.
Best wishes
Peadar McMahon
http://saveourhospital.com
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| Peadar McMahon |
30/06/2008
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