BEDS closed at Dungloe Hospital are to re-open within four weeks, Donegal TD Pearse Doherty said today.
And the X-Ray unit at the hospital will stay open this summer and not close as has happened in recent years.
Speaking after the Regional Health Forum briefing by HSE officials to Donegal Oireachtas members in Letterkenny today, Deputy Doherty said: “The HSE confirmed at today’s briefing that 5 of the 10 beds that were closed at Dungloe Community Hospital were to be reopened within the next 4 weeks due to arrangements made to deploy HSE employed home help workers to staff the beds.
“This is a very welcome development and I commend my colleague Cllr Marie Therese Gallagher and the local community for the work in highlighting the bed closures and for mobilising public support for the retention of the beds.
“It is my understanding that a similar proposal which originated from SIPTU is under consideration for Carndonagh Community Hospital and I hope to see this come to fruition shortly. I am calling on the HSE to explore if a similar arrangement can be made to retain the beds at St Joseph’s Community Hospital, which are also threatened with closure.
“While I welcome this development and the efforts made by HSE management locally to retain community hospital services, it is imperative that the recruitment moratorium imposed by the Government on the HSE is lifted and investment is made in our community hospitals in order to ensure the remaining beds are reopened and an appropriate level of service is maintained and developed in the long term.”
He added: “I also welcome the confirmation received today that the Xray Department in Dungloe Community Hospital will not close in the summer months as it has in previous years. This is testament to the huge demand for the service that exists and will be very welcome in the local area. It will also ease the burden on the service in Letterkenny General Hospital and I hope it can remain open in future years during the summer months also.”