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WITH the ongoing problems at Letterkenny General Hospital patients from Donegal are being sent to Sligo, Derry and Enniskillen for treatment.
Below is what happened to John when he ended up in Sligo – this is his view:
VIEWPOINT: An hour and a half to Sligo general hospital from Raphoe.
On arrival details are taken. Then a two hour wait for nurse to evaluate you then eight (8) hour wait to see a doctor that’s ten (10) hours at a&e then another hour and a half drive home, most of the people attending were from Donegal some arriving by ambulance some making their own way.
The staff were excellent working in a very stressful situation but the problem is a lack of doctors from my experience, do the schedule makers not realise a&e is 24 hours, some nurses volunteered to help out from Letterkenny general but where are the doctors? Surely the HSE is aware of the problem that sending Donegal patients down would have on the operation in Sligo. Altnagelvin Hospital have stopped accepting patients from Donegal unless they are life threatening cases.
Some questions need to be asked and answered.
1. Why did the hse and Donegal county council at the planning stage of Lk generals new a&e not look at the possibility of flooding?
2. Why has Lk general been allowed to flood twice?
3. Why have the hse not put extra doctors in Sligo to cut waiting lists?
4. Who’s at fault and will people be held responsible?
5. If a politician needed a&e would they be waiting up to ten hours????
It’s only when you experience Ireland’s health system that you realise this country is broken and needs more than false promises from politicians to fix it, people at the top in this country are only interested in helping banks etc and making sure they land on their own two feet.
Ordinary people of this country don’t matter until voting comes around and we all know what happens then.
Hopeful of a response
Disappointed citizen
John Mc