Cowen offers little hope to hospitals

CLOSE scrutiny of Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s Dáil speech following his election last week will give people living in the catchment areas of hospitals such as Mallow, Ennis and Nenagh little solace.

Mr Cowen said that “in the past the local county hospital was the centre of the medical universe. There was quite understandably a great affinity with that model of health service provision. It served us well then. However, today, if we want to ensure better and more comprehensive and sophisticated levels of care and better outcomes, we must change the mindset. The status quo plus just will not work.”

Mallow General Hospital is an acute hospital that was once a county hospital. The HSE’s modus operandi in further seeking to reduce Mallow’s acute services capacity in favour of Cork University Hospital is anathema to the 100,000-plus citizens who are served efficiently by this hospital.

Tullamore once had a county hospital. Like Mallow, it was upgraded to a general hospital. Mallow is being downgraded by stealth. I suspect Tullamore will retain its “status quo plus” designation. What is more disappointing is the Taoiseach’s endorsement of the illogical crusade by de facto health minister Brendan Drumm to downgrade a hospital like Mallow — a facility that is superbly efficient.

Seán Sherlock TD

Mallow Hospital Action Committee

Davis Lane

Mallow

Co Cork