Over 2,000 people have attended a rally in Roscommon to protest against the downgrading of the local surgical hospital.
The protestors matched from the hospital to the town centre where consultants warned that if acute services were withdrawn from Roscommon, or shared with Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe, lives would be lost.
John Tiernan, Roscommon County Manager, said over 400 people worked in the hospital and contributed over €1m in wages to the economy of the county.
He said if the hospital were downgraded, it would be a blow for the economy of the county as well as the welfare of the people.
The Health Service Executive is currently reviewing services at the hospital.
In a statement today, they said there was no threat to today's daytime surgery.
