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.