Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice has taken aim at the Minister for Health Simon Harris, calling the ongoing overcrowding in hospitals a “national disgrace”. Deputy Fitzmaurice released a statement last week as An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar apologised to patients who had experienced long waits on trolleys in emergency departments across the country.
“The number of people on trolleys is reaching unprecedented levels and the same story keeps coming out from Minister Harris and our Taoiseach that it will get better,” said Deputy Fitzmaurice.
“The vast majority in Government are in power for seven years now and worse the situation is getting. Hospitals have been downgraded and people were told it would be a better health service, but for the hundreds of people lying on trolleys it is unbearable.
“We have had a 30% increase in management but frontline staff that have to suffer the brunt of this pressure”.
Deputy Fitzmaurice added that more frontline staff were needed in order to tackle the problem and called for a new hospital for the west of Ireland, claiming that University College Hospital Galway was overwhelmed by patients due to the downgrading of other hospitals in the region.
The Independent TD also called for more facilities in Ballinasloe before questioning the Government’s decision making.
“Ballinasloe needs a new A&E and extra beds. This Government is once again like the previous Government, failing to make the decisions to create a better health system. The Independents in Government seem to have lost their voice when it comes to health and one wonders why”.
