Mayo Sinn Féin TD, Rose Conway-Walsh, has called on the government to keep its promises to Belmullet Hospital by allocating capital funding for the long-awaited modular unit and refurbishment.
Continuing to operate with just 12 beds and no respite is not acceptable to the Erris Community, Deputy Conway-Walsh said, adding: "Belmullet Community Hospital has seen its capacity reduced from the 20 to 12 beds following a HIQA inspection and report in mid-2020. Risks were identified in earlier inspections, in November 2019 and April 2020, but not addressed.
"I have raised this matter with the Minister on numerous occasions since then. Despite that there has been no progress. This can not be allowed to turn into a downgrading of Belmullet Community Hospital.
"There is currently an application in for capital funding for a modular build proposal for an additional 12 beds. We have been waiting almost a year for a response to that application.
"I have again written to the Minister urging him to release capital funding for Belmullet Community Hospital and provide the sorely-needed investment.
"If this is not forthcoming in this year’s allocations, then the only conclusion that the people of Erris and Mayo can draw is that the government are using covid as cover to complete a decade of chipping away at Belmullet Hospital by successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments.
"I have received a number of responses to the HSE that have alarmingly argued that Belmullet Community Hospital is capable of meeting the healthcare demand in the area at current capacity. I fundamentally disagree with this.
"The barriers put in the way of patients and health care professionals to stop Belmullet Hospital being used to its full potential is disgraceful and flies in the face of commitments made in Sláintecare, the national strategy for healthcare delivery."
