MINISTER REFUSES TO BE DRAWN ON THE FUTURE OF ERNE AND OMAGH HOSPITALS
MINISTER REFUSES TO BE DRAWN ON THE FUTURE OF ERNE AND OMAGH HOSPITALS
'The number one priority is to provide the best medical care to communities and I have seen that in the light of the Omagh bomb' - John McFall
NORTHERN Ireland Health Minister John McFall who visited the Erne Hospital last week to visit the victims of the Omagh bomb and the staff who treated them, refused to discuss future plans for the hospital with reporters.
Speaking to the Herald, Mr Hall declined to speculate about the future of the Erne in Enniskillen and Tyrone County hospital in Omagh.
Both are the subject of an ongoing review of acute hospital services, with fears that some of the services they are providing may be moved to Altnagelvin Hospital which, itself will be coming under pressure from a new hospital presently being built in Coleraine.
Mr McFall, who only took up his new appointment three weeks prior to the Omagh bomb, said the Western Health and Social Services Board were very conscious of local feelings as a result of the bomb and the manner in which the Tyrone County and the Erne hospitals had responded.
He had earlier told staff drawn from all departments in the Erne that he had been very impressed by the tremendous work they had done in the aftermath of the tragedy.
"You have shown through your endeavours, your kindness and compassion that life goes on and hopefully, that will encourage you in future work. It shows tremendous spirit that there is, this is what symbolises a community and it is something we don't want to lose", he said.
Speaking afterwards to the 'Herald', the Minister said his Department was now asking the Board to look at any review of acute hospital services in the light of situations such as the Omagh bomb.
He went on: "It is very important that the issue of medical care is to provide the best quality of services for people in different communities throughout Northern Ireland. One thing which has impressed me following this bomb, when I went around every hospital where the victims were being treated, is that people have told me they are in the best place for the injuries they received at the time".
When it was put to him should things be left as they are, Mr McFall said that in terms of trying to provide the best quality services, his Department always looked at the next process as times went on.
"But the number one priority is to provide for the best medical care to communities and I have seen that in the light of the Omagh bomb".
The Minister was met at the Erne Hospital by Richard Scott, the Chairman of the Sperrin Lakeland Health and Social Services Trust and Hugh Mills, its chief executive.
He later met the remaining seven patients from the 80-plus victims of the Omagh bomb whom the hospital received. They included 17-year old student, Stephanie Colton, from Tamlaght Road, Omagh who was due to be discharged later that day.
Stephanie received blast injuries, including severe lacerations to her right leg and left inner thigh, as she stood outside McElroy's shoe-shop.
She told the 'Herald' she had been shielded from worse injuries by one of the casualties; Mrs Geraldine Breslin.
'The number one priority is to provide the best medical care to communities and I have seen that in the light of the Omagh bomb' - John McFall
NORTHERN Ireland Health Minister John McFall who visited the Erne Hospital last week to visit the victims of the Omagh bomb and the staff who treated them, refused to discuss future plans for the hospital with reporters.
Speaking to the Herald, Mr Hall declined to speculate about the future of the Erne in Enniskillen and Tyrone County hospital in Omagh.
Both are the subject of an ongoing review of acute hospital services, with fears that some of the services they are providing may be moved to Altnagelvin Hospital which, itself will be coming under pressure from a new hospital presently being built in Coleraine.
Mr McFall, who only took up his new appointment three weeks prior to the Omagh bomb, said the Western Health and Social Services Board were very conscious of local feelings as a result of the bomb and the manner in which the Tyrone County and the Erne hospitals had responded.
He had earlier told staff drawn from all departments in the Erne that he had been very impressed by the tremendous work they had done in the aftermath of the tragedy.
"You have shown through your endeavours, your kindness and compassion that life goes on and hopefully, that will encourage you in future work. It shows tremendous spirit that there is, this is what symbolises a community and it is something we don't want to lose", he said.
Speaking afterwards to the 'Herald', the Minister said his Department was now asking the Board to look at any review of acute hospital services in the light of situations such as the Omagh bomb.
He went on: "It is very important that the issue of medical care is to provide the best quality of services for people in different communities throughout Northern Ireland. One thing which has impressed me following this bomb, when I went around every hospital where the victims were being treated, is that people have told me they are in the best place for the injuries they received at the time".
When it was put to him should things be left as they are, Mr McFall said that in terms of trying to provide the best quality services, his Department always looked at the next process as times went on.
"But the number one priority is to provide for the best medical care to communities and I have seen that in the light of the Omagh bomb".
The Minister was met at the Erne Hospital by Richard Scott, the Chairman of the Sperrin Lakeland Health and Social Services Trust and Hugh Mills, its chief executive.
He later met the remaining seven patients from the 80-plus victims of the Omagh bomb whom the hospital received. They included 17-year old student, Stephanie Colton, from Tamlaght Road, Omagh who was due to be discharged later that day.
Stephanie received blast injuries, including severe lacerations to her right leg and left inner thigh, as she stood outside McElroy's shoe-shop.
She told the 'Herald' she had been shielded from worse injuries by one of the casualties; Mrs Geraldine Breslin.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/0267
Published Date: 03-Sep-98
Related Images
