Vigil to highlight lack of beds in Children’s Hospital
By Aura McMenamin
A vigil will take place outside of Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin this Monday to highlight what parents of children in the hospital are calling a “worsening healthcare system”.
The vigil, which takes place on Monday, February 12 from 6pm to 7pm is being organised by the parents of children who use the hospital and aims to highlight a chronic bed shortage, long waiting lists for surgeries, a lack of parking facilities for Crumlin Hospital and a lack of facilities for children living outside of Dublin.
Parents across South Dublin County are invited to attend the vigil, as the hospital is used by many local families.
Longford native Hazel Robinson frequently travels to the capital to try and secure a bed for her daughter Gypsy.
Gypsy (15) has cystic fibrosis, a condition that mainly affects the lungs and pancreas, where cells produce a thick mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections.
According to Hazel her daughter spends two weeks in the Dublin hospital, with a four to six week interval.
Hazel told Echo.ie: “Nearly every single time we have to go back in, there’s a wait for a bed. If you need a bed urgently, [the hospital] might tell you to go to A&E, which is the last place you want to bring a sick child.”
Hazel said that parents of ill children “constantly question themselves” over whether to wait for a bed at home or try to get one through A&E – leaving their child waiting for hours and at risk of picking up flu.
Hazel said that she felt rooms for children in the hospital are not always adequate – with her daughter’s previous room being “cramped” and without showering or toilet facilities.
“She had to use a commode to go to the toilet for two weeks. It’s disgraceful that she had to use that.”
Another issue that parents face when bringing their child to the children’s hospital at Crumlin is the lack of parking facilities.
Last July, Echo.ie highlighted the jam-packed parking in the surrounding estates, which is causing stress for both parents and local residents.
The vigil will be for parents, children, the elderly and nurses and staff at the hospital.
Visit the event Facebook page HERE for more.
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