The Still Waiting Campaign is calling for answers as to why beds were not open sooner to help with the trolley crisis in Galway.
They say that the beds were made available to reduce the number of patients on trolleys for Leo Varadkar’s visit last week.
On 12 April the highest figures were recorded in University Hospital Galway with 58 patients on trolleys.
Still Waiting Coordinator Cyril Brennan said: “We need to call on public opinion to demand the measures that were put in place for the Taoiseach’s visit be implemented to help reduce people waiting on trolleys, the Taoiseach visit shows our hospitals have beds available but due to staffing shortages are not open and this is not acceptable.”
The Still Waiting Campaign is supported by left leaning political parties as well as unions such as the INMO, Siptu, Forsa and Congress.
Joe Loughanne of People Before Profit and a Galway representative of Still Waiting said: “Not only is Galway effected by a trolley crisis it also has the highest outpatient and inpatient lists in Ireland there are over 48500 waiting, government policy is not working, and we need people power similar to that of the water demonstration and the recent housing demonstration to demand change.”
The Still Waiting health campaign is a national campaign and is calling for the increase of bed capacity, an increase in front-line staff, the creation of a not for profit home help service as well as move towards a national health service.
