Minister's unannounced visit to see chaos at University Hospital Galway

The chaos at Galway’s public hospital was raised yet again in the Dáil this week.

A patient wrote to Galway West TD Catherine Connolly after the Saolta Hospital Group insisted that the closure of St Monica’s Ward – the main gynaecological ward at UHG, serving one million people from Donegal to Galway – was having no consequences.

Deputy Connolly raised the closure of St Monica’s in the Dáil after the Galway City Tribune revealed that the ward could not operate because of a lack of staff cover.

This week she raised the issue again, after being informed that the ward had in fact been closed since March 23 – three months ago, rather than the three weeks as she had previously been informed by the Health Service Executive (HSE).

This patient stated that she was admitted after taking ill following surgery elsewhere on a Tuesday at 1.30am and did not get a bed in St Angela’s – one of the two wards identified for use while St Monica's ward is closed – until the Friday evening at 6.30pm.

“The harrowing scenes we then witnessed in the emergency surgical unit were beyond distressing,” the woman wrote.

“I waited three nights on a trolley after major surgery before I could be given a bed in St Angela's. Every day I heard ‘oh we'll have a bed today for you’.”

Deputy Connolly told the Dáil: “It is unacceptable that this is the reality. I spoke to that person and she said she witnessed patients on the ground with blankets over them.”

Minister of State at the Department of Health Anne Rabbitte said the Health Minister visited the Emergency Department last week for an unannounced walkthrough.

This is a shortened preview version of this article. To read the rest of the story, see the June 17 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.