Overcrowding chaos in MUH

Michael Gallagher

Conditions at Mayo University Hospital were described as ‘Third World’ yesterday evening (Monday) as ambulances queued outside and the Emergency Department, overflowing with people needing treatment.
“There are huge delays, overcrowding is out the door and there’s a skeleton staff on. There are eight ambulances queueing at the back door. It’s nothing short of Third World conditions. Surely we deserve better than this,” one person who spent time in the hospital yesterday told The Mayo News.
Local county councillor Michael Kilcoyne called for an immediate emergency response from the Government, alleging that the people of Mayo have been fed empty promises by authorities and government politicians.

Mayo public ‘abandoned’
“Winter hasn’t even started properly and the hospital is falling apart in more ways than one. People need help and they can’t get it. It’s a life and death situation, yet the authorities turn their backs and take no heed,” he said.
“We’ve truly been abandoned. What are our government TDs doing here in Mayo? We were promised a new A&E years ago but we’ve since come to realise that it was an empty promise. The place wasn’t fit for purpose a decade ago, and it certainly isn’t anywhere near adequate now – but nobody in power seems to care,” Kilcoyne added, before pleading with the HSE and other state organisations to think outside the box in order to bring some relief to the situation.
“There has been a huge increase in numbers coming through the hospital, yet there have been no added resources. What extra support has the hospital received since Enda Kenny closed down the hospital in Roscommon and sent people down here? What extra resources has the hospital received as our population expanded in recent times? None!
“If one rings their doctor these days to look for an appointment they have to wait days for it, so there’s no choice but to go to the hospital. This, then, has a knock-on-effect and puts A&E under even more pressure, but people have no other option,” Kilcoyne continued, before proposing a solution.

Mobilise Primary Care Centres
“We have fine Primary Care Centres throughout the county, yet they’re only open a fifth of the time. They shut down around 5pm every day, but they should be open around the clock 24/7. It wouldn’t take a genius to come up with this as a solution, it’s staring them in the face, but nothing is being done about it. Of course, the Government will stall on providing the resources to staff these premises, which says everything one needs to know,” he said.
“The situation is so bad and our young nurses and doctors are so disillusioned that they’re all emigrating and finding jobs where the care of patients is resourced properly. In Mayo, we’ve been abandoned. The situation in the hospital this evening is a disgrace.”