"Lives could be lost in the Gorey area if further government health cutbacks go ahead and Wexford General Hospital loses it's Accident and Emergency Department and Maternity Unit to Waterford and similar units in Loughlinstown are moved to St.Vincents Hospital in the city, as is proposed under the Hanley Report."
This is according to a Sinn Féin candidate in next years local elections in the Gorey area, Sandra Ryan. The 22 year old Oulart woman who has studied nursing and who also had her first child just days ago said :
"It would be particularly disastrous for the Gorey area because of our geographical location which leaves us out on a limb. Can you imagine the difficulties that an expectant mother in distress could face if she was forced to get through rush hour traffic in New Ross en route to Waterford Regional or if faced with an extra hours journey in rush hour traffic should the Loughlinstown services be moved into St. Vincents.
This could prove tragic. It would be simply ludicrous and very dangerous. Look what happened in Monaghan with the death of Bronagh Livingstone when they lost their maternity services.
Sandra who has studied nursing and who had her first child just days ago said that "Wexford politicians must fight tooth and nail to stop this going ahead.
"The government is putting financial efficiency ahead of patient care and despite a decade of unprecedented growth in the economy the hospital waiting lists are getting longer.
"There are still only the same amount of beds in Wexfords A and E Unit as there were in the old hospital.Having just 4 trolleys in a Casualty Unit for 120,000 people is crazy. We've already been told that we will not be getting radiotheraphy services for cancer sufferers, now this.
"They use fancy talk saying that it's "not downgrading but rather a reconfiguration of services" as they call it. Such nonsense. When is a cutback not a cutback? It's no longer good enough for politicians to be just fighting for existing services to be maintained or accepting crumbs from the table.
" Rather they should start thinking outside the box and fight for smaller hospitals like that in Gorey to be upgraded and given back a status that they previously held .
" Because of our geographical position which has us caught between two stools I think this is the road we should be going down especially when we are going to see such a huge population increase in the Gorey area over the coming years."
