In defence of Sacred Heart Hospital, Castlebar

Tuesday, 24 January 2012 13:30

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Sir,

IN this day and age of doom and gloom and the famous runaway tiger, it is refreshing to report a good news story relating to hospital services and follow up care in this magnificent and sometimes vastly underrated county of Mayo.

I am referring to Mayo General Hospital and the recently maligned Sacred Heart Hospital, Castlebar.

I wish to state at the outset that the following comments are not from a patient after a sole admission to the hospital but from an old age pensioner who has had seven admissions in the last six years, including procedures for cancer, heart and stroke problems and a hip replacement (hip yet to come).

Throughout all my incarcerations I have nothing but the highest praise for the very much overworked staff, from surgeons, doctors and their teams to nurses, cleaners, very resilient porters, various back up sources and not forgetting chefs and kitchen staff who continuously serve up a top class and varied menu.

On my recent visit I noticed the dramatic effect of the famous cutbacks, etc., and I only wish that the Minister for Health, HSE alickadoos and HIQWA top brass should pay a visit, particularly on a weekend, to witness first-hand the stress and pressure that our world renowned nurses suffer, but alas…  (comment edited by worried editor?).

To conclude on Mayo General, a special word of thanks and praise to the young female physios who were utterly brilliant in their endeavours to get this patient – amidst all his traumas – back to walking, talking and full power in his hand. Also a word of praise to the coronary after care team it was a pleasure to suffer under.

To those who will inevitably croak ‘sure it is part of their job’, I will just say that maybe when they fill those people’s boots and perform so admirably their tune may change, God bless them.

As a final part of my recovery I was recently transferred to the lovely St. Joseph’s Ward of the Sacred Heart Hospital for ongoing physiotherapy, and like many others in Mayo I was totally unaware of the tremendous physio facilities and the young and utterly outstanding staff surely giving credence to the old seán focail “Mol An Orge Agūs Tioch faid Sē”. I was particularly impressed with the tremendous ‘Esprit De Corps’ pertaining throughout the staff, from administration personnel, nurses, hard working and diligent porters, cleaners and kitchen staff, who once again served up a lovely and varied menu.

Again I must state that the care and attention given to all, both in St. Joseph’s Ward and in the residential wards, was truly outstanding and I take grave offence at the recent HIQWA report which (wrongly) criticized the care being given to stroke patients and can only assume that it is stage one of an effort to downgrade this magnificent facility.

In this regard let me - as a slightly inactive OAP - assure all in authority that the OAPs’ protest against the proposed removal of their medical cards will seem like a tea party compared to Mayo Peoples’ Action Group to keep our treasured Sacred Heart establishment in sweet Mayo.

To conclude just because Mayo have failed to secure the fabled Sam Maguire since 1951 may prompt some people to assume that we in Mayo are a ‘soft touch’,our answer is very loud and clear - in due course, a Mayo Taoiseach will proudly hand over a silver trophy called Sam to a tenacious Mayo team to bring it to rest in the old county home.

Thanking you,

Yours in good health,

The old dog for the hard road,