BREAKING: Kildare Hospital Campaign Group to join protest tomorrow against overcrowding

A Kildare-based hospital will join a protest tomorrow, which will highlight overcrowding in hospitals across the country.

Demands from the protest include: adequate provision of GPs for Primary Care, step-down and home-care services to help patients leaving hospital, and for funding to be focused on front-line services, not on layers of management.

The protest will take place tomorrow, Saturday, January 21, at 1pm in Naas.

Organiser of the Kildare Hospital Campaign Group, Anita Mhic Gib, who is also an Aontú representative, said: "Never have so many hospital campaigns mobilised in such numbers.

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'THE MESSAGE WILL BE CLEAR'

"At least 14 Campaign groups will lead the protests up and down the country. The message will be clear: there is a deep anger and frustration amongst people at the constant chaos of our health service.

She continued: "People are actually frightened over the continuing damage that is being done to our health service. It is beyond the beyond at this stage and the Government seems to be powerless to address it and sort it out for the citizens of our country”.

"Last week our Government, using the HSE as a conduit , told the public to 'consider all options', and explore the possibility of going to other medical  providers, including Pharmacists , rather than turning up at A&E. 

"This is truly mind boggling and shows a deep cynicism and inertia in our Government".

She added: "Remember, the current Taoiseach and Tánaiste are both former Ministers For Health... No wonder we’re in the state we’re in."

Ms Mhic Gib also said: "There are 6,000 less hospital beds today than there was 15 years ago, and successive governments, made up of the present incumbents, closed down no less than eight Accident and Emergency Departments in that time frame.

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"None of this has happened by accident, it is a direct result of years of cuts to staff, hospital beds and A&E’s during a time of significant population increase.

"Our current health service was designed to cater for a population of 3.5 million ,when we now have a population of 5.5 million.

"Major cuts implemented during austerity have not been reversed."

She concluded her message by appealing for people to turn out 'in force' at the junction of Ballymore Road and Craddockstown Road: "Try and bring home-made placards, bearing individual messages/pleas to the government, to tell our government that enough is enough.

"It is time to resolve the ongoing and dangerous hospital crisis."