‘Body count will rise over lack of surgery’

THE body count will continue to rise in Monaghan, community activists claimed last night, because the local hospital must continue to function without emergency surgery.

Last night, chair of the Monaghan Hospital Community Alliance Peadar McMahon described as “hogwash” and “a terrible blow” a recommendation from the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland (RCSI) that all patients in need of acute surgical services continue to be transferred to Cavan General Hospital.

The alliance has campaigned for the restoration of emergency surgery to Monaghan General, blaming the lack of acute surgical care on a number of patient deaths in the region, the most recent being that of Patrick Joseph Walsh, 75, from Killanny, Carrickmacross. He bled to death after failed attempts by staff at Monaghan Hospital to transfer him to three other hospitals for emergency surgery.