Downgrade breaks spatial strategy rules

THE Departments of Health and Environment have clashing policies on Monaghan General Hospital, according to local independent TD Paudge Connolly.

Two weeks ago, Monaghan was designated a hub town under the National Spatial Strategy. “In order to qualify as a hub town you must have a hospital, yet the Department of Health is instrumental in downgrading the services at Monaghan,” Mr Connolly said yesterday.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, the TD, who was elected this year as a Hospital Action candidate, said there were plans to withdraw 24-hour coverage and weekend cover at the hospital. Mr Connolly also cited the example of a child who suffered burns and had to be sent to Dublin for skin grafts, because she could not be treated quickly enough in the North Eastern Health Board area.

“The first hour of any emergency treatment is critical,” he said. “We should be able to rely on basic hospital services. Drogheda hospital is one-and-a-half hours away and the nearest hospital in Dublin is two hours.”

He said the buck stopped with the executive of the health board and he was critical of conflicting medical advice the board receives on the operation of Monaghan General.

North Eastern Health Board medical adviser Finbarr Lennon offered his resignation, but it was turned down.

Denise Livingstone, the distraught mother of baby Bronagh, who died after being transferred to Cavan Hospital when refused treatment at Monaghan Hospital, wants health board chief executive Paul Robinson to resign. She has also called for the resignation of Health Minister Micheál Martin.

“They are not doing their jobs,” she said yesterday, responding to the news the health board’s report into the tragedy did not urge the resumption of full maternity services at Monaghan.

“What we want is to have our local hospital put back on call and our emergency services restored.”

She said she feared other babies would die because of the lack of proper services in Monaghan.