Focus on UHL overcrowding during election 'made a huge difference', says campaigner
Melanie Cleary during a candlelight vigil at UHL with a picture of her daughter Eve who died in the hospital. Picture: Brendan Gleeson
A hospital campaigner who ran for election in Limerick says an unusually high focus on the overcrowding crisis during the campaign was victory enough for her.
Melanie Cleary ran in Limerick city under the Midwest Hospital Campaign banner. She took home almost 700 votes.
“I was blown away by it,” she said. “I think we made a huge difference, we set out to bring the hospital to the forefront really and as a campaign we achieved that.”
Overcrowding featured prominently in leaflets and campaign promises from all parties during this election unlike in previous years, she said.
“We believe if I hadn’t have run, that wouldn’t have been there. It was definitely more talked about than the last time,” she said.
Many families shared hospital experiences with local and national media recently and she feels they were encouraged by seeing overcrowding as an election issue.
While canvassing she also heard many stories of “horrific” delays and time on trolleys. Ms Cleary is hopeful elected TDs in Limerick, Clare and north Tipperary, will remember these stories.
“For us it was really positive to see Conor Sheehan (Labour) being elected. He has been involved with our campaign,” she said.
“I heard Kieran O’Donnell (Fine Gael) doing an interview when he was elected saying UHL is his number one priority. I just really hope he means that because it hasn’t been during his last term.”
There are now five Fianna Fáil TDs in this region, and three Fine Gael. Both parties have pledged to carry out recommendations from an ongoing review of emergency services locally by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa).
Public consultation on this opened on Wednesday on the Hiqa website. Ms Cleary said the Midwest Hospital Campaign will make a submission.
Sinn Féin and Labour have also committed to finding solutions as have elected Independents. Overcrowding continued on Wednesday at University Hospital Limerick with 114 patients without a bed, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation said.
