Merciless cuts for Mercy carers

WHEN I heard a news story recently about the Mercy Hospital emergency department in Cork reducing its hours I was shocked that such an excellent institution should be subject to the HSE’s latest round of cuts.

We need to take a stand and object vociferously to what the HSE administration insists on doing to valued and necessary health services that continue to serve our sick so well.

Recently my father, on visiting me in Cork, contracted pneumonia and was taken to Cork University Mercy Hospital (CUMH) by ambulance.

He was 78-years-old and quite frail and, sadly, lived his last few weeks in the care of the excellent Mercy hospital staff.

It’s a long story of his final illness, but suffice to say the care he received during those 27 days was simply first class.

He spent three weeks in intensive care and then was moved to an observation unit in St Catherine’s ward.

He was formally transferred to the care of the palliative team who helped him to the end. Ironically his death coincided with the final closure of the local hospital in his home town of Monaghan. The reason for this letter is not to muster a sympathy vote, but to extend a major thank you to the intensive care and St Catherine’s ward teams in the Mercy for the care they gave him for the one month of his stay.

They showed him, and those of us there, his sons and daughters and wife, unbelievable kindness, compassion and humanity and the best possible care available, even in these times of major recession and dismantling of our health care system.

It would be silly to say keep up the good work because we know they will if they are let.

And so I say to Mary Harney, Brendan Drumm and those in the HSE with decision-making authority ... haven’t you done enough harm? Please leave this unique and wonderful hospital and its employees alone to continue their important work.

Judith Macklin

‘Sienna’

Coolvallanane Beg

Kinsale

Co Cork