Around 400 people attended a public meeting at the Westville Hotel in Enniskillen last night, organised by the campaign group Save Our Acute Services (SOAS).
Hospital campaigners in Fermanagh said they are now taking their fight to the steps of Stormont, claiming that voices from their rural community are “not being heard”.
Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) is a community-led campaign calling for the restoration of Emergency General Surgery at the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH). It will be holding a rally in Enniskillen in the coming weeks, with plans to then demonstrate at Stormont in the near future.
Emergency general surgery services at SWAH were temporarily suspended in December 2022, and campaigners say the continued absence of the service is placing patients at risk and increasing pressure on families who must travel long distances for care.
Donal O’Cófaigh from (SOAS) said people in Fermanagh feel Stormont is not listening to their concerns.
He said, “It has been more than three years without access to what he described as “life-saving” emergency general surgery at the South West Acute Hospital, calling the situation “simply unacceptable”.
Mr O’Cófaigh said a rally will be held in Enniskillen in the coming weeks to demonstrate public support for the restoration of emergency general surgery. He added that campaigners are planning to hold a similar rally outside Stormont in the near future.
