Second hospital protest to march to front gates of UHL
THE SECOND UHL protest held this year is set to go ahead this weekend as the hospital is once again the most overcrowded in the country.
According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), there were 107 patients waiting for a bed on trolleys at University Hospital Limerick this Wednesday morniing.
The previous UHL Protest, held in January, was organised by Mike Daly and saw 11,000 people take to the streets of Limerick city centre against the conditions at UHL.
The plan for the upcoming protest is to have marchers start at the Crescent Shopping Centre and march all the way out to UHL rather than congregate in Arthur’s Quay Park in the city centre like the previous demonstration.
“[The Government] are playing games and they took no notice of the 11,000 that came out the first time,” Mr Daly said.
Emotional and powerful speeches about personal experiences regarding overcrowding at UHL were shared during January’s protest.
The upcoming protest “won’t be a big fanfare-like last time, probably no bands, no big speeches afterwards, just a mass of people in town marching and congregating at UHL,” he said.
“If it means we have to go to the hospital doors on a weekly protest, well it’s all down to the people of Limerick now if they want to get behind that and show that we want the A&Es (at St John’s. Nenagh and Ennis) opened,” Mr Daly added.
This Saturday's protest is due to start at 11am.