Published: Wednesday, 10th March, 2010 5:30pm

March planned against possible Portiuncula downgrading

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The campaign to prevent the downgrading of Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe looks set to step up a gear in the coming days, as unions meet with the HSE next week, prior to a planned protest march scheduled for Sunday, March 28.

Health authorities will meet with union officials on Monday next to discuss its plans for new management reporting procedures at Roscommon and Portiuncula hospitals, a move which would mean managers at the local hospitals would be defer decisions to a manager, based at University College Hospital Galway.

IMPACT has instructed all of its members not to cooperate until they establish how the new structures will affect local services.

"We have been inundated with calls of support from community groups, shopkeepers and users of the hospital who are supporting what we're doing," IMPACT Assistance General Secretary Padraig Mulligan, also a member of the newly formed Portiuncula Action Committee said this week.

"We'll be meeting the HSE on Monday and the following day we will meet with staff and local politicians. The Action Committee also intend to have a Protest March on March 28, details of which will be announced," he said.

"We're now moving to phase 2 of campaign to secure support from the community and politicians to ensure budgets for Portiuncula and Roscommon do not move to UCHG, where there is currently a large deficit," he explained.

Were this to happen, Mr Mulligan fears that money would be taken from the two smaller hospitals to subsidise the Galway-based facility, a development he said would lead to downgrading of services, facilities and jobs in Ballinasloe and Roscommon. "We are determined that will not happen," the union official said this week.

A petition on the issue is also expected to be circulated right through the Midlands, in a bid to strengthen support for the campaign, one that has already secured the backing of all the unions, consultants Dr Barton and Dr Monaghan in Portiuncula and wide sections of the community.

"Why downgrade a centre of excellence when numbers using maternity services have significantly increased and, also at a time significant amounts of people can't afford private health insurance, solely relying on the public system," he concluded.