Pregnant women urged to ‘leave plenty of time’

PREGNANT women whose due date falls during the papal visit are being urged to “leave plenty of time” for hospital journeys.

The HSE is also asking pregnant women whose delivery date falls near or over the weekend to plan their route in advance.

Health chiefs say a “common-sense approach” is being adopted by gardaí in relation to hospital access in Dublin city centre over the weekend, including for women in labour.

Garda bikes and vehicles are also on hand to escort emergency cases to hospital during the visit. People are advised to dial 999 as normal if they need to urgently attend hospital.

Large swathes of the city centre will be effectively shut down at different times over the weekend, with 86 roads closed tomorrow to facilitate the Phoenix Park closing Mass, which will be attended by some 500,000 people.

To combat this, significant contingency plans are in place. Both the Coombe and Rotunda maternity hospitals are issuing letters and permits to staff and patients who may need access to the hospitals over the course of the visit.

“Given its city centre location, the Rotunda has years of practical experience delivering services to patients during periods when traffic and movement is restricted,” a spokesman for the hospital said.

“The Rotunda is very aware of proposed traffic restrictions for the papal visit and locally we have been putting in place contingency plans to avoid disruption for patients, their families and staff who need to attend the hospital over the weekend.”

The National Maternity Hospital is advising people planning to visit the hospital to take public transport.

The HSE has said that, despite the widespread disruption across the capital, all hospitals will remain accessible.