Report into Patrick Walsh’s death is an insult, says TD

THE report into the death of 75-year-old Patrick Joe Walsh was an insult to his memory, independent TD Paudge Connolly declared yesterday.

Mr Connolly said it was unimaginable that people could investigate the circumstances of the death of the 75-year-old man and then come up with what amounted to the closure of Monaghan Hospital.

Mr Connolly said the Health Service Executive (HSE) was now effectively saying that people were better off without a service in Monaghan.

“This will send shock waves to the people of Monaghan,” he said.

When Monaghan went off-call there were 17 deaths and there was evidence that more deaths would occur if the service was reconfigured.

Mr Connolly claimed that the other hospitals did not have the capacity to do what the HSE was now asking of them. He also accused the health authority of being vague about their plans for the region.

He would have expected the report to recommend that Monaghan have a back-up system in place to treat patients not in a position to travel.

“You have to save somebody’s life before you can treat them,” he said.

Asked if the people living in the region would have to accept the change, Mr Connolly said no one could accept a death penalty.

What the people wanted was a basic hospital capable of stabilising at risk patients before they can be transferred to other hospitals.

Jimmy Livingstone, whose prematurely born grand-daughter Bronagh died after her mother was refused treatment at Monaghan Hospital in December 2002, said the report’s findings did not surprise him.

“Nothing has changed, things only get worse,” he said.

“It looks that they are preparing to turn the key on Monaghan Hospital.

“We have nothing here, if there is an accident we are expected to drive to Cavan or Drogheda, and when you do arrive there, you are told there are still no beds.

“We have no health service in the north east.

“The report just goes to show you the bureaucracy of the whole thing.

“You had the staff there who could have saved him, but the doors were locked.

“The people don’t matter to the authorities, its all about bureaucracy.

“It’s disgraceful and it is inevitable that more people will die.”