Garrison public meeting on future of SWAH surgery

A PUBLIC meeting will take place in Garrison tomorrow, Thursday, 21 August, to discuss the impact of the removal of emergency general surgery from the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) in Enniskillen.
Campaign group SOAS (Save Our Acute Services) has been invited to speak at the event, where they will present their roadmap and proposals, including plans for a Rural Area Hospital.
“There is a hunger in the community currently,” SOAS representatives said, “and questions about any changes in health configurations and the challenges uniquely faced by Fermanagh.”
Residents are being encouraged to attend, with organisers stressing the importance of ensuring rural voices are heard in the debate over the future of local healthcare services.
“SOAS are delighted to be invited to present and discuss our roadmap and particularly our Rural Area Hospital. We have always brought information to anywhere in the district and we understand the importance of doing so. We look forward to another event to rollout the details,” they said.
One of the organisers Patrick Eston explained why the meeting is important, especially for rural communities.
“We are in the sticks and we are the ones who are going to be effected the most about it, to get from Enniskillen to Altnagelvin is enough but if you try to get from Beleek to Altnagelvin its a bad journey,” Patrick said.
“The rural voice is lost and if we don’t speak up for ourselves who is going to do it. I think it is very important for people to hear about the roadmap and be informed and then they can make their own mind up.”