Families call on Minister For Health to intervene
On Thursday 22nd July the Save Cherry Orchard Hospital Campaign took their protest to the HSE main offices beside Heuston Station.
Management in Cherry Orchard have told family and community representatives that they intend permanently closing an 18 bed unit which houses patients with althziemers and dementia.
Families of current patients in the Laurel Unit have bitterly complained and protested that shifting their loved ones out of the environment that they have become familiar with will cause immense distress and upset. The families are also concerned that this will not be the last move that will be forced upon them.
The hospital have a staffing crisis every Summer and hide behind the recruitment embargo to force through cuts to the service. This time engaging four new nursing and care staff would resolve the staffing crisis in this unit and would ensure it could remain open.
Marie Dodrill whose husband lives in the Laurel Unit said "No way will I give the hospital permission to move my husband. This has become his home and is one of the best units in the hospital. We will fight to keep the Laurel Unit open and to keep every bed in Cherry Orchard Hospital. The families are calling on the Mary Hraney to get involved in sorting this problem out. This is not a big problem but it is having a huge impact on all the families involved."
Cllr Brid Smith of the People Before Profit Alliance (pictured above) said
“The lifting of the recruitment embargo is the main demand of this campaign. Thursday’s protest will be large and angry as local people, families and supporters have been mounting regular pickets on the hospital and this has had no impact. They have also held a march through the Ballyfermot area. Its now time to take their case directly to the HSE top brass”.
Age Action Ireland, the Senior Citizens Parliament and the Carers Association have all indicated their support for this campaign.
Contact Cllr Brid Smith 087 9090166 for further information
