Tomás Sharkey has hit out at the last minute cancellation of a variety of vital clinics in Louth County Hospital over the coming weeks and has claimed that lives are being put at risk by HSE management at the behest of an uncaring government.
"All this week, sick and vulnerable patients have been receiving calls cancelling their appointments at medical, stroke, diabetic and surgical clinics to name but a few, over the next fortnight. This latest action by the HSE demonstrates it's disregard for the people across this county.
"These clinics are vital for the patients. I spoke to the family of a recent stroke victim. His appointment for next Monday was cancelled only this Thursday morning over the phone. This is no way to treat patients and their families.
"After the next two weeks of appointments in the diabetic clinic have been cancelled, the next available dates are in May 2010. This situation is an absolute disgrace and vindicates the people from all across Louth who oppose the cuts be it Transformation or otherwise.
"I am challenging the HSE and members of the government to come clean and admit that they are no longer acting in the best interests of patients.
I have contacted the offices of Des O'Flynn and Stephen Mulvaney who are rolling out the cuts and closures across our hospitals. Administration in Louth County Hospital are merely passing on the public's concerns to these senior officials.
"I want the decision-makers to speak face to face with the sick patients who will not see a diabetes doctor until May 2010 or have an appointment in the stroke clinic for months to come."
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
When a government refuses to govern or care
Today it came to light that Brendan Drumm will receive a bonus of €70,000 for services rendered in 2007. The HSE Health Minister Ms Harney insisted that the approval of the bonus paid to Mr Drumm should not be a matter for her as Minister of Health.“The last thing we need is a meddling minister getting involved in contractual issues around individuals,” said Ms Harney.
This refusal to have a say or even to take a position on the affairs of her own department (Yes, Mary is Minister for Health) says it all about this government and health.
You see today was also the day that the Save Our Hospital Group met John Gormley in Leinster House. We met Mr Gormley because he failed to attend a rally last Thursday and we wanted to hear what his party were doing to save our A&E and Acute Medical Services. We asked Martin Bellew, chair of Dundalk Town Council, along. We learned that this cabinet member is content to let the HSE make dangerous decisions.
Today wasn't exactly a waste of a journey. We heard first hand how little John Gormley cares about our plight. Today we heard him ask what our needs were, what the situation was with maternity and what we were willing to negotiate on. John needs to learn that we have nothing to negotiate. Our hospital will only save lives if we have A&E and Acute Medical. But John should have known that as he promised on the 16th April 2007 tht he would save these services. John should have known that maternity was stolen in 2001 as he was the Green's spokesperson on health.
Today was not a waste of a journey because we now know that the Green Party have made no demands for us. They have not tried to raise our plight. What was a "key demand" in 2007 and a "deal breaker" last week has been put on the bottom of a compost bin.
Today we learned that the Green Party dont care, have done next to nothing, and will only go through the motions when pushed. We learned that a cycle path from Barna to Oranmore is higher up their list than the wards in a hospital.
So what if sections of the media think I am pushy on this issue. So what if Fianna Fáil try to portray me as emotional on this issue. I am pushy and emotional about the hospital and am proud to be.
If the people of Dundalk read Mary Harney's comment;“I have total confidence in the board of the HSE and I must say I think the CEO of the HSE [Prof Drumm] does a fantastic job,” there will not be enough defibrillators, blood pressure tablets or beds in all of Ireland to deal with the effects.
This refusal to have a say or even to take a position on the affairs of her own department (Yes, Mary is Minister for Health) says it all about this government and health.
You see today was also the day that the Save Our Hospital Group met John Gormley in Leinster House. We met Mr Gormley because he failed to attend a rally last Thursday and we wanted to hear what his party were doing to save our A&E and Acute Medical Services. We asked Martin Bellew, chair of Dundalk Town Council, along. We learned that this cabinet member is content to let the HSE make dangerous decisions.
Today wasn't exactly a waste of a journey. We heard first hand how little John Gormley cares about our plight. Today we heard him ask what our needs were, what the situation was with maternity and what we were willing to negotiate on. John needs to learn that we have nothing to negotiate. Our hospital will only save lives if we have A&E and Acute Medical. But John should have known that as he promised on the 16th April 2007 tht he would save these services. John should have known that maternity was stolen in 2001 as he was the Green's spokesperson on health.
Today was not a waste of a journey because we now know that the Green Party have made no demands for us. They have not tried to raise our plight. What was a "key demand" in 2007 and a "deal breaker" last week has been put on the bottom of a compost bin.
Today we learned that the Green Party dont care, have done next to nothing, and will only go through the motions when pushed. We learned that a cycle path from Barna to Oranmore is higher up their list than the wards in a hospital.
So what if sections of the media think I am pushy on this issue. So what if Fianna Fáil try to portray me as emotional on this issue. I am pushy and emotional about the hospital and am proud to be.
If the people of Dundalk read Mary Harney's comment;“I have total confidence in the board of the HSE and I must say I think the CEO of the HSE [Prof Drumm] does a fantastic job,” there will not be enough defibrillators, blood pressure tablets or beds in all of Ireland to deal with the effects.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Dundalk Town Hall says it as it is
Last night saw a huge crowd packing every seat, step, standing space and indeed the foyer in Dundalk Town Hall. The staff were brilliant. The public were there to Save Our Hospital, the speakers were saying it as the public see it.
John Gormley didnt come. He was busy but promises a meeting in the Dáil next week. We will be there ... if there still is a government.
Dermot Ahern did not show up. He sent no apology but did send a statement in the hands of a FF councillor. We as a committee agreed that the statement should be heard. The people refused to hear it from Fianna Fáil.
As chairman of the mass meeting, I read Dermot Aherns words to the meeting. Imagine how nervous I was reading on behalf of a man so knowledgeable and powerful! Imagine the passion I put into that piece of public puppetry.
There was anger in the hall. All ages, all classes were angry with the proposed closur of our hospital.
We the people have kept the hospital open by campaigning every week, every year for 40 years.
We the people fear for our lives if the hospital closes.
We the people insist that promises be kept.
Everybody interested in this campaign should visit www.louthhospital.com
John Gormley didnt come. He was busy but promises a meeting in the Dáil next week. We will be there ... if there still is a government.
Dermot Ahern did not show up. He sent no apology but did send a statement in the hands of a FF councillor. We as a committee agreed that the statement should be heard. The people refused to hear it from Fianna Fáil.
As chairman of the mass meeting, I read Dermot Aherns words to the meeting. Imagine how nervous I was reading on behalf of a man so knowledgeable and powerful! Imagine the passion I put into that piece of public puppetry.
There was anger in the hall. All ages, all classes were angry with the proposed closur of our hospital.
We the people have kept the hospital open by campaigning every week, every year for 40 years.
We the people fear for our lives if the hospital closes.
We the people insist that promises be kept.
Everybody interested in this campaign should visit www.louthhospital.com
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Óg nó aosta .... céasta
Is cuma cén aois atá agat, ní féidir éalú ó na hionsaithe atá an rialtas seo ag déanamamh ar phobal na tíre.
Tá séirbhísí sláinte gearrtha go dtí an cnámh cheana féin. Níl go leor banaltraí phobail ann chun cuairteanna a thabhairt ar pháístí nua-shaolta nó a máithreacha. Is ionann sin is a rá go bhfuil máithreacha óga faoi ghruaim agus páistí óga le fadhbanna feabhais nach bhfuil aitheanta go fóill agus mo Dhia na himpleachtaí a bhéas air sin amach anseo.
Tá na scoileanna sa tír i ngéarrchéim. An tseachtain seo bhí ar phríomhoide scoile cúnamh a fháil chun páipéar tóine a chur ar fáil do na páistí. Nárbh fhearr dóibh na himlitreacha, treoirlínte riaracháin agus orduithe ón Aire a stróiceadh agus a chrochad ar thairne taobh thiar de dhoras an sciobóil amuigh?
Bhí sioc ann ar maidin. An chéad sioc den gheimhreadh. Tá na duilleoga tite de na crainn agus cumhra na Samhna san aer. Marsin, tá teaghlaigh agus seandaoine ag smaoineamh ar bhreosla. Ní bhfuaireamar uilig deis cláracha gréinfhuinnimh a chur ar dhíon an tí. Táimid ag brath ar ola, gual, leictreachas. Tá an teas lárnach múctha ag go leor duine go dtí go mbeidh am an ghátair thart. Fuacht.
Seo thuas blaisíní de na fadbhanna sóisialta in Éirinn sa lá atá inniu ann. Níl seo ag dó na geirbe faoi láthair. Tá agóid ann ar cén tóin dhea-bheathaithe ar chóir ar shuíocháin ró-stuáilte.
Mo náire aicme na meáin.
Dundalk Town Hall .. tomorrow night
The people of Dundalk are gearing up for a huge public meeting in the Town Hall tomorrow night, the 8th October. Why?
It is simple. The government intends on closing our hospital. Louth County Hospital was opened 50 years ago. It was needed then and is needed now. For years now, government policy has been pushing to close the hospital. They want to centralise everything into one hospital in Drogheda.
The government's plans have nothing to do with cutbacks, recessions or the public good. They were written by an accountancy consultancy firm from England called Teamworks who have been specialising in the privatisation agenda for years.
So back to our hospital.
We lost our children's ward.
We lost our maternity ward (the only children born in Dundalk now are those born in the back of a car or an ambulance on the side of the road because the mother doesn't make it to Drogheda on time).
When I say "lost", I mean these services were removed by a careless, uncaring series of governments.
And now we are in endgame. The HSE plans on closing the A&E that saves lives and removing acute medical services that intervene when a patient is having a stroke, heart attack or even an anaphylactic shock. This should worry all of us.
So ladies and gentlemen, in the week that Dermot Ahern from Dundalk is negotiating a new programme for government on behalf of FF with a Green Party which promised us all that our hospital would be safe, we the people are taking to the civic Town Hall.
John Gormley is invited. Dermot Ahern is invited. Promises are to be left at the door and action is required.
Will they come? That is up to them. But the people of this town will be there.
It is simple. The government intends on closing our hospital. Louth County Hospital was opened 50 years ago. It was needed then and is needed now. For years now, government policy has been pushing to close the hospital. They want to centralise everything into one hospital in Drogheda.
The government's plans have nothing to do with cutbacks, recessions or the public good. They were written by an accountancy consultancy firm from England called Teamworks who have been specialising in the privatisation agenda for years.
So back to our hospital.
We lost our children's ward.
We lost our maternity ward (the only children born in Dundalk now are those born in the back of a car or an ambulance on the side of the road because the mother doesn't make it to Drogheda on time).
When I say "lost", I mean these services were removed by a careless, uncaring series of governments.
And now we are in endgame. The HSE plans on closing the A&E that saves lives and removing acute medical services that intervene when a patient is having a stroke, heart attack or even an anaphylactic shock. This should worry all of us.
So ladies and gentlemen, in the week that Dermot Ahern from Dundalk is negotiating a new programme for government on behalf of FF with a Green Party which promised us all that our hospital would be safe, we the people are taking to the civic Town Hall.
John Gormley is invited. Dermot Ahern is invited. Promises are to be left at the door and action is required.
Will they come? That is up to them. But the people of this town will be there.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Post Lisbon Referendum - No Regrets
So the Referendum is over and the Lisbon Treaty has been passed. This has been a marathon session for the Irish. Political activists on all sides must be exhausted and the voters must be glad that self amending clauses, legally binding guarantees and qualified majority voting will leave everyday conversation. That is not to say that many politicians understood the Treaty.
I don't intend to be a sore loser. I am a proud politician tonight. Proud that we in Sinn Féin successfully informed ourselves on complex issues and did out best to campaign on the facts. I am proud of all the people who helped us out and those who voted with us.
I am proud that Louth had the 7th highest No vote. Donegal beat us to it as did Cork North Central and 3 Dublin constituencies. Louth is a small county with serious social divisions.
We are proud and glad of our actions in intervening during Labour's pro government stint in Dundalk last week. My brother Paul is my strongest role model. He tells me that if you do something it is because you mean to do it. We intervened last week because we meant to. Labour can't jump up and down on a Tuesday seeking backing for Brian Cowen and tell us to vote Yes for jobs only to turn around on Saturday demanding FF go so that jobs can be created.
We have an ongoing project in Louth - Save Our Hospital. All efforts must go into this for the time being. So to everybody who is fed up of Lisbon speak, we will be talking of patients, lives, golden hours and the like from here on.
Le Meas
Tomás
I don't intend to be a sore loser. I am a proud politician tonight. Proud that we in Sinn Féin successfully informed ourselves on complex issues and did out best to campaign on the facts. I am proud of all the people who helped us out and those who voted with us.
I am proud that Louth had the 7th highest No vote. Donegal beat us to it as did Cork North Central and 3 Dublin constituencies. Louth is a small county with serious social divisions.
We are proud and glad of our actions in intervening during Labour's pro government stint in Dundalk last week. My brother Paul is my strongest role model. He tells me that if you do something it is because you mean to do it. We intervened last week because we meant to. Labour can't jump up and down on a Tuesday seeking backing for Brian Cowen and tell us to vote Yes for jobs only to turn around on Saturday demanding FF go so that jobs can be created.
We have an ongoing project in Louth - Save Our Hospital. All efforts must go into this for the time being. So to everybody who is fed up of Lisbon speak, we will be talking of patients, lives, golden hours and the like from here on.
Le Meas
Tomás
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