The A&E department at the Clonmel Health Facility is regularly overcrowded now with some patients spending days on trolleys in corridors receiving treatment.
Its lead to outrage among patients, their relatives and opposition TDS in the county who are stepping up their campaign to get the government to pay heed.
Liz Curran – Regional Representative for the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation points out the stark reality there of the situation facing both staff and patients at South Tipp General on a daily basis.
In recent months the situation with overcrowding has deteriorated with regular spikes in the numbers being treated on makeshift beds in the corridors – often with very complex conditions – such as coronary and pulmonary issues.
Speaking on Tipp Today, Liz Curran says it’s partially due to an increase of patients with serious conditions needing longer care and staff shortages.
However she added that much is also down due to historical reasons
In the recent past hospitals like Wexford had among the highest numbers on trolleys on a daily basis – and recognising this, the HSE built a new unit to help ease the chronic overcrowding.
Liz Curran also says other key infrastructure was put in place there – as well as in Waterford and Kilkenny to address the level of patients who don't make it onto the wards straight away.
Meanwhile local campaigners are stepping up their efforts to get the problem of overcrowding addressed by government.
The Taoiseach says he will be seeking a report from the health Minister James Reilly on the matter but insists that extra resources were neither available or the answer.
This is being rejected by opposition TDs – like Seamus Healy who is demanding money be released from the HSE's 30 million euro emergency fund- he has also called an emergency meeting of the South Tipperary Hospital committee.
Others like Independent Mattie McGrath who has organised a meeting for April 28th in Cahir feels the government's local representatives have let the county down.
