Published: Wednesday, 18th August, 2010 5:00pm

Health cuts must stop

The Government must stop playing with people's lives and put an end to health cuts that will see the closure of a nursing home in Athlone and at the very least services curtailed at Portiuncula Hospital and Roscommon County Hospital.

The cuts just keep on coming, but it is essential that funding be diverted from elsewhere into the health service to ensure that the people of Athlone and the surrounding areas can enjoy proper medical attention when it is needed.

It seems that there has been fight after fight after fight in recent times by the people of Athlone to maintain whatever health services we have, but it is not acceptable that people have to fight for basic healthcare in this day and age.

When the Celtic Tiger was roaring the people of Athlone were promised a primary care centre. It wasn't a hospital to serve the ever growing population of the town, but it was something.

Alas, the Celtic Tiger came and went and still no improvement on the health front for Athlone.

As the recession worsened the health situation became bleaker, first with the announcement of the closure of Loughloe House earlier this year, an impending threat that St Vincent's Care Centre may follow suit and now fresh worries about the future of Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe and Roscommon County Hospital.

It appears the closure of Loughloe House may finally come to pass soon as the HSE plans to transfer the remaining eleven residents to St Vincent's Care Centre.

But is this really a move in the right direction or is St Vincent's next for the HSE chopping board? The HIQA report on St Vincent's Care Centre earlier this year wasn't all too favourable and aside from providing some money for a fresh lick of paint at the old hospital, the HSE doesn't appear to have made any great strides in addressing the concerns of the inspection body.

But the HSE is not just content on ridding itself of the burden of providing homes for some of our most vulnerable people. It appears that eight hospitals in the HSE West area are proving to be too costly so one of those may have to be closed also. A leaked consultant's report into cost-cutting measures within the HSE West area has recommended the closure of one hospital in the west.

Although the hospital for the chop is not named in the report, which the HSE subsequently published, it is understood an earlier draft of the report had recommended the closure of Roscommon County Hospital. The HSE moved quickly to deny that Roscommon County Hospital would be closed, and yesterday (Tuesday) said that the doors of Portiuncula would definitely remain open.

The people of Athlone and the surrounding areas should not have to pay for the economic downturn by putting up with inadequate health services.

It is beyond disgraceful that this Government can continue to pour billions of euro of taxpayers' money into Anglo Irish Bank while at the same time turning its back on society's most vulnerable - sick and elderly people.

It's time some of those tax dollars were diverted back to where they are really needed - into our health service.

The sick, vulnerable and infirm should not be made pay for the sins of our ruling classes - many of whom are still reaping huge salaries, expenses and pensions.