Up to 1,000 people took part in a rally outside Monaghan Hospital this evening to protest over its down-grading.
Monaghan is the first facility to be down-graded as part of the HSE's re-organisation of the acute-hospital services.
It will operate as a day hospital from today and most cases will be brought to Cavan General Hospital, which is 50km away.
It is the first hospital in recent times to be taken off-call by the Health Service Executive as part of the re-organisation of hospital services around the country.
The HSE has said the move is necessary to improve patient safety.
Local campaigners and the Irish Nurses Organisation disagree with the HSE.
They have said Cavan will not be able to cope with the extra demand, while doctors at Monaghan have said patients will die.
Meanwhile, an internal HSE document seen by RTÉ News shows that management believes the best way to reduce demand for hospital beds in the northeast is to limit access to them and allow the service to manage with whatever is available.
