Limerick protestors share their experiences at overcrowded hospital
FOR sixty seconds, all that could be heard was the squawk of seagulls flying above the river Shannon, as a heart-wrenching silence stopped Arthur’s Quay Park.
The minute of silence was held in memory of Aoife Johnston, who died from meningitis after reportedly spending 16 hours on a trolley.
In the crowd: protesters holding photographs of their departed loved ones, banners pleading for the reopening of emergency departments, and 126 red flags reflecting the highest number of patients treated on trolleys in a single day at University Hospital Limerick last year.
Before the silence, around 11,000 pairs of feet ambled through the streets of Limerick city to voice their concerns about the continued overcrowding at UHL – the most overcrowded emergency department in the country.
“I was inside myself on New Year’s Eve. I had a posture trouble, like a blockage, and went in about half two, and wasn’t seen until half two the next day,” shared Mike Sheehy from Co Limerick, as to why he decided to join the march.
In support of the families who have lost loved ones "because of the negligence within a hospital that is not fit for purpose," Gerry Hall, joined the protest.
Like many, he also had a story to share.
The Dooradoyle man, who suffers from a heart condition, was sent home after being told he was okay. “I was on a trolley and a week later, I was getting operated on in Galway Clinic for a full on heart attack, and blockages in the valve,” he explained.
Breege Clancy, from Shannon, feels helpless.
“We’ve been through it ourselves with our own parents overnight in the trolley. My dad waited for over 36 hours. You’re standing beside your loved one and there’s nothing you can do,” she said with a shake of her head.
Alannah Sheehan, from Nenagh, joined the march as she no longer feels safe in hospitals.
“I have terminal cancer. In September, I went to the ShannonDoc and was prescribed penicillin twice,” she started. “I’m allergic to penicillin, so they could have killed me. Then I went to another hospital, and was basically thrown in a room, and on a bed with no pillow, no blanket, for about six hours.”
Eventually, Alannah decided to check herself out. “I was more worried for my health staying in hospital, and I felt I’d be safer at home – and, that’s with terminal cancer. I wasn’t given the care I needed,” she said.
As the crowd made its way down O’Connell Street, the chant was loud and clear: “Listen up HSE, give us back our A&Es.”
Among them, eight-year-old Clodagh Purcell and her dog, George, might have been the loudest.
“Everybody needs to be healthy. My dog is angry as well!” she paused. “He wants better healthcare in Limerick.”