Hundreds to protest loss of cancer services

HUNDREDS of people are expected to protest against the planned downgrading of cancer treatment services at Sligo General Hospital outside Leinster House in Dublin today.

Three weeks ago about 4,000 people from counties Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal attended a rally in Sligo to express their anger at the exclusion of the north-west from the development of a centre of excellence for cancer treatment.

Many of those attending today’s protest are constituents of Fianna Fáil TD Dr Jimmy Devins, who went against his party line last month when he said the decision made no sense. He told local radio that he was “absolutely outraged” at the HSE decision to discontinue cancer surgery at Sligo General Hospital.

Dr Devins said the move made no sense given the excellent services in Sligo and the fact University College Hospital Galway did not have the capacity to deal with extra patients.

On RTÉ Radio yesterday he called for the hospital to be independently audited and was confident this would show services should be retained and developed.

Last month the HSE and Health Minister Mary Harney announced that cancer care would be centralised at eight hospitals. University College Hospital Galway and Limerick Regional Hospital will provide services for the HSE West, and there will be an outreach cancer care service from Letterkenny.

The changes are to be phased in by late 2009.

Cancer patient Lily McMorrow from Coollaney, Co Sligo, said travel arrangements for patients at Sligo General requiring radiotherapy in Galway made her dread the day all cancer services at the hospital were gone. A relative of hers was recently taken by ambulance from Sligo General to Galway for radiotherapy. After the two-hour trip she had to sit in a wheelchair from 11am until 6pm, when a bed was found for her.

Campaign member Anne McGowan from Ballyshannon, Co Donegal, who is recovering from cancer, said: “We will continue our fight until the Government recognises that the north-west deserves a centre of excellence.”

One of the organisers, Donegal county councillor Barry O’Neill (FG), said the protest would show the Government that the north-west should not be disregarded in the delivery of excellent cancer care.