*Jennifer Hynes speaking at Sunday’s protest. Photograph: John Mangan
An Ennis woman in full-time care who suffers from cerebral palsy, epilepsy and asthma had her phone stolen when admitted to University Hospital Limerick in the past fortnight.
Jennifer Hynes spent five days on a trolley at UHL in April and is currently recovering from double pneumonia. Speaking at a protest organised by Friends of Ennis General Hospital, she recalled her latest experience in hospital.
“I spent five days on a trolley only last week in Limerick hospital. I have spent several weeks in Limerick hospital on a trolley. More than once this year I have been admitted to Limerick, on this admission unfortunately my phone was stolen. What kind of a country have we that Ennis Hospital cannot be left opened, why do people with all these conditions have to go to Limerick, I was in Ennis and I was told that I would have to go to Limerick to be treated that I could not go to Ennis, why does this have to happen to disabled people”.
Hynes expressed her frustration that the people of the Mid-West have to fight for services such as the reopening of the accident and emergency unit at Ennis General Hospital. “At the moment I’m currently in a nursing home because I do not have people to care for me, I am a person of 42 years of age and I do not have people to care for me. Why do I and so many others like me have to fight for a service that we should automatically be given, other people are lucky but we should not have to fight for the service”.
“I need A&E open and everybody needs A&E open. I suffer from asthma, it was Ennis hospital that saved my life and brought me to Limerick and it is Ennis hospital that is the reason I am here today. Why should any elderly person falls out in Miltown, why should they have to travel all the way to Limerick to be treated, it is not fair and Ennis hospital should be opened now”.
