MONEY MUST BE FOUND FOR CRUMLIN HOSPITAL.

Issued : Wednesday 24 June, 2009

Cllr Tracy O’Brien said this week that it is vital for the Minister for Health & Children to provide the necessary funding for Crumlin Hospital.

This week we witnessed the parents of four children, who were so desperate for their children to get the treatment they need in Crumlin Hospital, having to go to the media to highlight the plight of their sons and daughters.

It costs a lot of money to treat and operate on seriously ill children and many of them spend months, even years in hospital.  We all understand their heartbreaking stories and I know as a mother of young children how vital it is that our children can get the treatment they need in hospital. Many other young mothers I meet on a daily basis tell me how anxious they are in case their children get sick.

 In no civilised society would treatment for seriously ill children be delayed. Cutbacks like these are the worst of all.  The Labour Party is calling on Minister for Health & Children to intervene and to provide Crumlin Hospital with the money needed. If Crumlin Hospital is over budget, it is because they are required to respond to the needs of sick children and these needs are frequently very expensive. The priority, in this case, simply has to be the children.

We all know and are reminded each and every day that there has to be a tightening of belts and control of budgets and major reform in certain aspects of health spending, but the delivery of treatment for sick children should never be compromised.  How many more sick children will have to be turned away from Crumlin Hospital because of the Minister’s refusal to fund the hospital properly?.