Paraplegic landmine victim faces fourth night on hospital trolley

A paraplegic landmine victim who has been lying on a hospital trolley since Tuesday said he is now at risk of developing pressure sores from his hospital stay.

Marco Sabatini Corleone, 58, spoke about his concerns last night as he faces into a fourth night on the trolley tonight in a therapy room off the Mercy University Hospital’s (MUH) emergency department in Cork City.

“I am tired and not sleeping because of the noise of the emergency department,” Marco told the Irish Examiner. “I’m just fed up waiting for a bed. I have plates in my back as a result of my spinal injuries, and I’m supposed to lie on an air mattress. I’m not supposed to be on a hospital trolley for this long. The staff here are wonderful. They are trying their best. But it’s just with all the cutbacks, they are short of beds. I’m now at risk of developing pressure sores. And if I get breakdowns, it can take a long time to heal.”