REACTING to this week’s Trolley Watch figures Deputy Maurice Quinilvan of Sinn Féin began “I am blue in the face from this ongoing fiasco. The government seems either unable or unwilling to tackle this issue.
“If I am this frustrated, I can only imagine the anger of patients and hospital staff. The Government may have changed but the problem remains the same. The problem is capacity. “ he said.
In 4 days Since Monday, 31st August, there have been 199 people on hospital trolleys at Limerick University Hospital Limerick this is both unacceptable and disgraceful.
Deputy Quinlivan sad: “During the onset of the pandemic people refrained from attending the hospital and this massaged the trolley figures. But since then Trolley Figures have increased dramatically and worryingly.
“We need to get control of these figures immediately. The pandemic remains amongst us, cases of which are on unfortunately on the rise in Limerick and we are about to enter the traditional flu season.
“It is an affront to the hard-working nurses and doctors that these figures remain and it is an affront to the dignity of each and everyone of these 199 people. Attending hospital overnight is stressful enough.
“You enter the hospital uncertain and nervous regarding your ailment. But then you find that you must remain on a trolley with the associated absence of privacy. It doesn’t matter how wonderful those that treat you are. It is an horrendous experience.“ he added.
The Limerick Deputy added “I have asked the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, to meet me in Limerick so that we can discuss ways of alleviating these pressures on our hospital staff and patients.
“I repeat that call now. I want to work constructively with him on this issue. Enough is enough. The time to fix this issue is now. It can not be a case of tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow on this crucial piece of work. Our hospital staff and patients deserve and need this issue to be rectified.” he concluded.
