Lack of equipment closes Lourdes hospital

The North Eastern Health Board has confirmed that all planned operations at one of the country’s largest hospitals have been cancelled until further notice.

This is due to a lack of ventilating equipment at the Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.

The equipment is used to help keep patients alive following operations.

Recently the hospital has been coping with an increasing number of seriously ill accident victims who have had to be ventilated in the operating theatres use for planned or elective procedures.