Members of the Ennis General Hospital Development Committee staged a protest at the offices of the Health Service Executive in Limerick city today.
The committee said the protest was over the repeated failure of the HSE Chief Executive, Professor Brendan Drumm, to meet it or answer its queries on the future of Ennis General Hospital.
The committee received political commitments from both the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste that the hospital would not be downgraded and lose its 24-hour Accident and Emergency cover as envisaged by the Hanly Report.
However, the committee has received no response from Prof Drumm about what his plans for the hospital are, and it fears that the Hanly plan is alive and well.
The committee recently sent a registered letter outlining a series of questions to Prof Drumm, which required yes or no answers, but it still awaits a response.
Today members of the committee, supported by trade councils, farmers’ bodies and women’s networks from Co Clare, nailed their letter to the front door of the HSE in Limerick.
Committee Chairman Peadar McNamara said if Prof Drumm had good news it would have been received by now.
He accused the HSE of being the 'hand sanitation service', allowing the political system to wash its hands of decisions that will put lives at risk and increase inequity in the community.
