Hospital name change ‘taking heart out of town’
The 71-year-old has little time left to live with the disease now at an advanced stage having spread to the arteries surrounding his heart.
The devastating consequences of the cancer scandal at Kerry University Hospital were laid bare in the Dail by Sinn Fein’s Pearse Doherty during Leaders’ Questions.
An internal HSE report revealed one locum consultant radiologist was at the centre of the scandal which left 11 patients unaware they had the disease.
They were given the all-clear but four have died in the past two years.
Mr Doherty said: “Between March and October 2016, the now 71-year-old, who is a husband, a father and a grandfather, had three chest X-rays.
“His cancer was not picked up in any of the three X-rays. Hospital in Drogheda A PROPOSED name change for a hospital would have a devastating effect, a Senator warned yesterday.
The title of Our Lady Of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Co Louth, could be altered in a move described as “bizarre” by Labour Senator Ged Nash.
He said to change the name would be “taking the heart” out of the town.
Mr Nash told the Irish Mirror: “I got a number of calls from irate staff at the hospital who told me of the manager’s intention to have the name of the hospital changed.
“The name of the hospital has a special place in the hearts of the people of Drogheda, it was funded by the people.
“I would be deeply uncomfortable at the decision being taken by the general manager to change the name and dispose of decades of local history and identity.
“The hospital clearly no longer has the Catholic ethos and I think retaining the name of Our Lady Of Lourdes Hospital shouldn’t offend anybody.”
In a letter to staff the general manager said the three possible new names were University Hospital Drogheda, Drogheda Regional Hospital and Drogheda General Hospital.
She added: “I feel now is the time for real change for the hospital.”
The HSE did not respond to a request for comment.