MITCHELSTOWN DOCTORS VOTE NO CONFIDENCE IN HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT
Members of the medical profession in Mitchelstown have expressed a vote of no confidence in the management of Mallow General Hospital. The vote was taken at a meeting in The Firgrove Hotel on Monday night, which was organised by the GPs together with representative groups who are lobbying for the maintenance of acute services at the hospital.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has since replied insisting that the accusations of downgrading are untrue. Speaking at the meeting Dr Tom O Callaghan said, “This meeting was organised to express a vote of no confidence in the management of Mallow General Hospital and follows on from similar expressions in Mallow and Charleville."
"It is vital that the people of Mitchelstown, through their GPs, add weight to the campaign to prevent the downgrading of services at the hospital. Mitchelstown is part of the catchment of the hospital and many referrals are made to the hospital from this region”.
Dr Declan Herlihy described the hospital as an excellent secondary care facility, which he said they do not want to see downgraded to a mere community facility.
“How are referring doctors in Mitchelstown supposed to maintain confidence in the HSE at a time when they are seeking to refer all of our patients by stealth to the CUH? We want to ensure the continuation of Mallow as an excellent facility to which we can refer patients,” he asserted.
“Our coming together tonight is about adding our voice to the other GP’s across North Cork on behalf of the people of Mitchelstown and surrounding areas,” added Dr Brian Carr.
Representatives from The Mallow Hospital Action Committee, Friends of Mallow Hospital, Charleville Health Forum all attended as well as Cllr. Liam O Doherty, chairman of the HSE South Forum and Rosario Buckley, co-ordinator of the Charleville Health Forum who both pledged their support to the campaign to retain services at the hospital.
Deputy Sean Sherlock, secretary of the Mallow Hospital committee who was also in attendance stated: “This is a positive move by yet more front line physicians who provide a voice of reason against a torrent of HSE mismanagement who are hell bent on downgrading the hospital by stealth.”
“Mitchelstown has now added its vote of no confidence in the HSE management of the hospital. This is vital to raising further awareness about the need to up the ante in this campaign,” added Cllr Noel O’Connor, PRO of the Friends of Mallow Hospital committee.
In a statement to The Avondhu a spokesman for the HSE rejected the claims, again repeating the stance on Mallow Hospital as explained in the aftermath of the high profile press conference held by the hospital groups a number of weeks ago.
“The HSE refutes that it is trying to downgrade the hospital by stealth. In fact the opposite is true. Mallow General Hospital provides a vital service in the region. To this end, the budget for MGH was increased in 2008 by 14% to €17.231m (taking into account the hospital’s negative casemix adjustment this year). This is the highest increase of any hospital in the HSE South (average increases are 9.5%)", the spokesman said.
Published:
Friday 2nd May 9:46am
