Priests encourage mass-goers to attend rally to 'save' hospital
Priests in a Meath parish have urged mass-goers to attend a public rally calling for a halt in downgrading plans for the county's only hospital.
The priests in Navan used the pulpit at all weekend Masses to encourage those in attendance to march for Our Lady's Hospital and make their views on the plans known to their local representatives.
The rally is due to take place in the town next Saturday and organisers are hoping to mobilise thousands onto the streets.
In recent weeks, fresh concerns were raised about the future of the hospital after a letter was circulated by the HSE and Ireland East Hospital Group confirming the planned downgrade of the hospital's emergency department and the axing of the Intensive Care unit.
However last week, Minister Stephen Donnelly said it was not acceptable for any changes to happen in the way they were reported and ordered a temporary reprieve.
The statement read out in both St Mary's and St Oliver's Churches in the town read: "The priests of the Parish welcome the news that plans to downgrade the Emergency and Intensive care services at Our Lady's Hospital have been put on hold.
"From our experience as chaplains in the hospital, we know how much these services are valued.
"We therefore encourage parishioners to show their support for our local hospital by participating in the public rally next Saturday and/or by making your views known to our public representatives."
The Parish's Administrator Fr Declan Hurley said the statement was their own initiative and wasn't aware of any similar messages in other parishes in the county.
Meanwhile chairperson of the Save Navan Hospital Campaign Peadar Toibin who is helping to organise the rally on October 30th is also urging people to get on the streets despite the Minister's announcement
"For me, it was good to hear that the HSE has been instructed to pause their configuration plans but we now need the Government and HSE to fully scrap the plans they have to downgrade the hospital," said the local Aontu leader.
"There are thousands walking around Meath because of the care and services at the hospital, where the ED and ICU were at the frontline in the battle against Covid - the very services they are hoping to close despite the ongoing rise in Covid case figures.
"Also the Orthopaedic services were cancelled at the hospital recently, due partly to the pressure on the ED services. It is an extremely dangerous objective to close down these services and I would also urge people not to become complacent because of the announcement to pause the configuration - let's get out on the street in numbers and show our opposition"