Sinn Féin TD for Kerry Martin Ferris has said that devastating health cuts under successive Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil governments are compromising patient safety in University Hospital Kerry.
“The report on UHK in The Irish Examiner newspaper is a damning indictment of successive governments,” said Deputy Ferris.
“The revelations that the HSE has identified the absence of a dedicated obstetric theatre remains the number one risk at the hospital and it needs to be addressed by both the HSE and the Minister for Health.
Scandalous Waiting Times
“This on top of the scandalous waiting times is further evidence that hospitals like UHK are being downgraded by stealth. Services once provided there are being provided by hospitals in Limerick and Cork and by private hospitals at a huge cost to both the state and Kerry patients.
“This is doing nothing for the already fragile morale of staff in University Hospital Kerry. Sinn Féin wants to create an Irish National Health Service – a universal healthcare system to ensure that every citizen was guaranteed health care.
€4 Billion in Health Cuts
“Over €4 billion has been cut from health funding in recent years with the loss of over 2,000 beds.
“As a result of the policies of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, supports and services for vulnerable people, including mental health services, have been undermined by a range of cuts.
“Over 5,000 nursing and midwifery posts and 3,500 support and care staff have been lost. These devastating cuts are compromising patient care in Kerry on a daily basis,” Deputy Ferris concluded.
You can contact The Maine Valley Post on… Anyone in The Maine Valley Post catchment area who would like to send us news and captioned photographs for inclusion can send them to: jreidy@mainevalleypost.com
Queries about advertising and any other matters regarding The Maine Valley Post can also be sent to that address or just ring: 087 23 59 467
Please Note: A click on any of our adverts will reveal all you need to know about what our advertisers need to tell you.
