It has been reported that 163 jobs must be cut at the Mater Hospital in Dublin.
An internal memo from the Mater's chief executive, Mr Martin Cowley, issued to every department in the hospital last week says a staff ceiling imposed by the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) must be complied with, according to a report on irishhealth.com
The Website quoted the memo, dated May 14th as saying: "The Department of Health have put in place rigorous employment control measures for 2003 and beyond. The Mater Hospital has now been informed of its ceiling which is 2,196 wholetime equivalent posts. This number has been reached by using the staff census at December, less a reduction of 107 posts.
"In order to comply with the staff ceiling allocated by the ERHA, the hospital must now reduce the number of wholetime equivalent posts by 163".
|
While the news has not been confirmed, Opposition parties have been quick to blame the Government. Fine Gael health spokesperson, Ms Olivia Mitchell said it was "the most serious manifestation of cutbacks and amounts to the dismantling of the Health Service".
Labour health spokesperson, Ms Liz McManus described the news as "concrete proof of the duplicitous [Government] promises that the level of services of last year would be maintained".
"This is an extremely serious development for a major hospital that can no longer maintain the existing level of services for its patients. The Government is starving the country's hospitals of much-needed resources which is resulting directly in bed closures and staff lay-offs", Ms McManus said.
Both spokespersons said further lay-offs could be expected if the cutbacks continue.
Ms Mitchell said: "The tragedy is, it appears that all hospitals, Health Boards and Health Service Providers will be required to make similar irreversible cuts in their work forces.
Green Party health spokesperson, Mr John Gormley said theMinister for Health, Mr Martin, must get support from the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, or resign. "If Michael Martin cannot receive support from his Minister for Finance he should do the honourable thing and resign from Cabinet."
Sinn Féin health spokesperson Mr Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said called on the Taoiseach to intervene to prevent what he described as the collapse of hospital services.
Mr Ó Caoláin said: "The Taoiseach himself once worked in the Mater Hospital and he and his Health Minister have repeatedly boasted of its achievements. Yet today we learn that 163 posts are to be axed.This is a further body blow to our hospital services and comes after the closure of 250 beds in the five Dublin teaching hospitals."