People from Co Clare will die in ambulances en route to hospital in Limerick as a result of a reduction in emergency services at Ennis Regional Hospital, it was claimed at a protest over the Hanly Report.
Addressing an estimated 20,000 people on Saturday at O'Connell Square, Ennis, a range of medical experts, politicians, clergy and even sporting organisations claimed the extra time taken in travelling to hospital from Ennis could not be accepted.
One of the first to speak, cardiologist Mr Terry Hennessy, said medical teams and consultants at the hospital welcomed reform but had "critical concern" about early diagnosis in life-threatening conditions, particularly coronary complaints.
Should the Hanly Report be implemented as it stood, Ennis would lose its after-hours accident and emergency services and "presumably" patients would have to be transferred by ambulance to Limerick. While Hanly envisaged an upgraded ambulance service, patients with emergency life-threatening conditions should be seen by primary-care doctors, he said.
On general emergency hospital admissions, Dr Róisín Costello of Nenagh Hospital spoke of the "golden hour" in which treatment should take place.
Mr Frank O'Malley, representing the ambulance service, said the service opposed the reduction of hospital facilities, adding: "If you allow this to happen it will be a recipe for death."
Ms Evelyn Galvin told the crowd she lived at Kilmurray, more than 20 miles from Ennis. Some years ago her daughter, Emer, was involved in an accident involving a bus and a car and was rushed to Ennis hospital. "Her blood pressure was 40, then 200, which basically meant she was losing blood and would have died if there had been any delay."
Ms Galvin said that while Emer was now well, she was positive that should anyone find themselves in a similar situation and with A&E unavailable at Ennis, then they could not expect to be so fortunate.
Independent TD Dr Jerry Cowley asked to speak on behalf of the nine TDs present and warned: "People will die. There is no question whatsoever."
Dr Cowley also referred to the critical time-period for treatment and added that should the Hanly Report be implemented, Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrat TDs should resign.
Mr Joe Arkin, secretary of the Ennis Hospital Development Campaign, said the "ordinary people of Clare were being asked to give leadership on the hospitals issue".
Not since the people of Co Clare gathered to celebrate the election of Daniel O'Connell in 1828, or the election of Éamon de Valera in 1917, had such a large crowd gathered in the town's O'Connell Square, he maintained.
The rally was also attended or addressed by: the deputy mayor of Clare County Council, Cllr Brendan Hanrahan; Mr Michael McNamara, chairman of the Clare county board of the GAA; Mr Jim Madden of the Clare county soccer association; representatives of the Irish Nurses' Organisation and of Ennis Chamber of Commerce, the IFA and the local trades council, as well as members of the clergy, and mayors of surrounding towns.
It was announced that should a march to Leinster House be agreed, the Dublin Clarepersons' Association "had offered plenty of tea".
Many placards at the march referred to potential closures at Nenagh hospital. In the crowd was Ms Teresa Langton from Nenagh who, as a diabetic, said she feared that, in an emergency, her 20-minute journey to Nenagh could be lengthened to 1½ hours to Limerick.