Hospital campaign to picket HSE Dubin HQ on Friday

The Save Navan Hospital Campaign will picket the HSE Head Office at Dr Steevens Hospital, Dublin between 12noon and 3pm this Friday (14th October).

The picket comes after 20,000 people marched in two campaign rallies in Navan in the last year, in protest at proposals to replace Navan's Emergency Department with a 12 hour Local Injuries Unit and referral only Medical Assessment unit.

A rally at HSE Regional Headquarters in Kells recenty was attended by several hunred.

Speaking in advance of Friday's picket, Campaign chair, Deputy Peadar Tóibín said, "It is incredible that the people of Meath have had to go to such lengths simply to defend our A&E against closure.

"Especially given that the A&E is under such incredible pressure. It has never been as busy. Extra space has had to be reopened to deal with the enormous number of patients. Sick people are on trolleys and the ICU is full with people with Covid. Are the government out of their minds trying to close it down?".

"We want to send a message loud and clear to the HSE. The HSE owe our campaign a debt of gratitude and thanks for blocking their plan last June.

" If it was not for the Save Navan Campaign, Drogheda would be out the door with patients waiting for hours for help. We will do everything we can to save the most important Heath infrastructure in Meath. We not going to become another University Hospital Limerick."