Organisers of the community rally to save the Sacred Heart Hospital in Castlebar from closure have called for a huge turnout for the evening of Monday next, May 27. The rally has been called to highlight the danger of the hospital closing on June 30, 2015, unless remedial works, which will take two years to complete, are not started immediately.
The rally is being co-ordinated by Castlebar Fianna Fail, but local party officers are emphasising that this is not a political rally, but a community expression of the worries and concerns of the public at the threatened closure.
Conor Smyth, one of the main organisers, said: “We expect every elected representative, of all political parties and of none, to come out and publicly proclaim their support for the future of the Sacred Heart Hospital.”
“This is too serious for point scoring, and I confidently expect that government representatives, both local and national, will join us in urging our Taoiseach to do the right thing by Castlebar and save our Sacred Heart Hospital,” he said.
The issue of the hospital's future has recently been highlighted by local councillors Al McDonnell and Blackie Gavin, who revealed that they had been briefed by HSE officials that a €10 million investment had been applied for in order to bring the hospital up to new standards demanded by HIQA. Without these improvements, it is claimed, the hospital's operating licence will not be renewed when it runs out on June 30 2015.
A Facebook page was set up last Friday night to support the retention of the hospital and within 24 hours it attracted 1,000 signatures.
The hospital currently employs a staff of 150, catering for 77 long stay and 36 rehab beds.
