Ward Closures in Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children will affect Waterford Families
Issued : Sunday 28 June, 2009
Labour Party Councillor Seamus Ryan has reacted angrily to the news of cutbacks in Our Lady’s hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin.
Cllr Ryan has called on Minister for Health and Children Mary Harney to intervene immediately and provide Crumlin Childrens Hospital with the money needed to ensure that there will be no ward closures at the hospital. Our Lady's is Ireland's largest paediatric hospital, with 248 beds and more than 1,500 staff and treats many patients from all over the country including Waterford.
Crumlin Hospital responds to the needs of sick children from all parts of the country including Waterford City and County. Surely the priority in this case must be the health of our children. The Hospital treats on a yearly basis over 24,500 inpatients and day cases, 30,100 Emergency Department attendances, 76,000 Out Patient attendances and performs over 13,500 operating procedures. Many of these are children from Waterford. If the Minister does not intervene immediately the result will be the closure of an operation theatre from July to December, two theatres and 20 beds being shut own during July and August as well as serious cutbacks in outpatient services. This will have a devastating effect on the health of our children and must not be allowed to happen.
Cllr 
