Roadside birth puts pressure on Hanly

THE birth of a baby in an ambulance while in transit between hospitals in Monaghan and Cavan yesterday highlights major flaws in the Hanly Report.

Opponents of the Government's controversial health reform programme yesterday made the claim. The association of groups are opposed to the Government's plans to centralise acute hospital care into 12 regional centres.

The latest incident comes just over a year after baby Bronagh Livingstone died after her mother prematurely gave birth en route between the two hospitals.

It also follows further complaints about cutbacks to health services in the North Eastern Health Board area after the death of Frances Sheridan, aged nine, earlier this month following an appendix operation two weeks earlier at Cavan Hospital.

In addition, claims have been made that a person in the NEHB region died after an ambulance crew refused to follow a GP's instruction to transport a patient to Monaghan and brought them to Cavan instead.

Peadar McMahon of the Monaghan Hospital Action Group said the latest incident of a roadway birth had again raised awareness of the dangers associated with a reduction in hospital services in the area. "This is what Hanly will bring to your door if you live near one of 26 hospitals due for downgrading," said Mr McMahon.

Mr McMahon said all hospitals would be affected as they would face overcrowding and delays due to the knock-on effect of cutbacks to services.

Representatives of hospital action groups from around the country announced details of a conference in Kill, County Kildare on March 7 to form a national organisation to overturn the implementation of recommendations in the Hanly Report which will result in the downgrading of some services at 26 general hospitals.

They warned that the closure of A&E units and loss of acute services would threaten lives as was already happening in the NEHB area.

The new association currently comprises groups representing Ennis, Nenagh, Monaghan, Roscommon, Athlone, Ballinasloe, Mallow and Mullingar.

At a press conference in Dublin yesterday Dr John Barton, consultant cardiologist at Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, said the centralisation of acute care services as proposed under Hanly was "a flawed strategy".

"The vast bulk of work that small hospitals are currently doing can still be done there," said Dr Barton. He claimed Hanly would force older people farther away from their homes and families at a time when other countries realised the value of providing as much medical treatment in the home as possible.

"It is essential that there will be a national dimension to this issue," said Labour senator Kathleen O'Meara, one of the leading supporters for retaining existing services at Nenagh General Hospital. She said the issue of putting forward candidates for the forthcoming local and European elections had not yet been discussed by the organisation.

Independent Wexford TD and doctor, Liam Twomey said a person's attitude to Hanly was highly dependent on where they lived.

Last night, however, Health Minister Micheál Martin reacted angrily to the group's claims by suggesting they were more interested in the local elections than saving hospitals. He accused some members of the group of scaremongering and misrepresenting the true position on Hanly in an act of "sheer political opportunism".

"The proposals outlined in the Hanly Report mean an increase in services across all our hospitals and the provision of additional facilities into the regions," said the minister.