Campaign appeals to local people to take a stand on hospital

Ann Casey

Published: Fri 16 May 2014, 12:12 PM

Last updated: Fri 16 May 2014, 1:18 PM

Thousands of protestors are expected to march through Navan tomorrow in a bid to save Navan’s A&E Department.
The Save Navan Hospital Campaign has appealed to local people to take a stand in support of the hospital, in a week when
local family doctors have expressed genuine fears for patient safety if Navan is downgraded.
Members of the Save Navan Hospital Campaign, who last week met with senior HSE management, were told that the HSE are determined to close the A&E at Our Lady’s Hospital Navan.
Urging the people of Meath to come out in their thousands chairman, Peadar Tóibín said:“Nineteen thousand people with serious emergencies attend the A&E in Navan every year. Overcrowding in Drogheda is a national scandal. If our A&E here in Meath is closed it will lead to delayed diagnosis, delayed treatment, the spread of disease and over crowed, sub optimal care for many of these people.
“I have a genuine fear that in some cases this will lead to deaths that would have been prevented. This could be your mother, your father, your daughter or your son. It could be you. This may well be the last opportunity we have to protect our services and I urge all to come out in numbers tomorrow.”
The march begains at the Navan Enterprise Centre at 2pm and will continue through the town as far as the hospital.
The proposal to downgrade A&E has been described as an act of momumental folly by family doctors and GP’s throughout Meath have expressed opposition to the move, warning that Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda wont be able to cope with additional patients from Meath and expressing serious concern for patient safety.
Plans for the massive Save Our A&E rally have been gaining momentum with GAA, soccer, rugby and tennis clubs backing the campaign. Community organisations such as Meath River Rescue, ICMSA, Active Retirement Groups, trade unions and schools have been mobilising the community.
Thousands of petitions have been collected, 40,000 leaflets have been distributed, 1,000 posters have been erected in shops throughout the county. Three awareness creating rallies have been held in Trim, Athboy and Kells.
See Health Minister James Reilly speaking at the hospital rally in 2010 here ...