People Before Profit’s Newry & Armagh rep Marc Mac Seáin commends the SOS Daisy Hill committee and comments:
“It was amazing to see thousands in marching against the suspension of Daisy Hill’s maternity service.
“This cut would put thousands in Newry, South Armagh, South Down & across the border in danger. Families can’t be expected to make journeys of 1 & 1/2 hours+ safely up the country roads to Craigavon, especially in dangerous storm conditions like last night. 40% extra births transferred to Craigavon from Newry will also use vital bed space, it’s a double cut.
“Daisy Hill has seen cut after cut for years but a line in the sand must be drawn. There must be accountability & systemic change with the Southern Trust, Department of Health, Stormont Executive who have failed our communities year on year. We demand basic healthcare equality and an end to the Bengoa Report and acute service centralisation. We need cross-border health cooperation on a hospital network, along with training of staff from the shared island fund. Not just with Daisy Hill, but with SWAH in Enniskillen & Causeway in Coleraine too.
“We must take inspiration from the people power we are seeing force change with Garvaghy Road standing up to the Orange Order, with Public Sector Workers fighting on pay in the Republic, the French Students or Spanish Housing movement. We need further organised community & workplace fightback to stop the suspension of maternity.”