Campaigners for a hospital in Omagh announced plans yesterday to take their fight to the community in an attempt to persuade the Northern Ireland Health Minister, Ms Bairbre de Brun, to back their case.
The Hospital Campaign for the Rural West disclosed plans for a series of community information evenings, a leaflet drop, a Website and a public rally aimed at persuading the Minister to ignore the recommendation of the Hayes Report which recommended that a new hospital for the west of the province be located in Enniskillen.
The campaign has the backing of local politicians, doctors and nurses, business people and trade unions.
Campaigners have commissioned an analysis of the recommendation by the Hayes Commission in an attempt to strengthen their case for a new hospital to be located in Omagh.
The Omagh District Council public relations officer, Ms Maurica Lavery, said the campaigners were planning a 100,000-leaflet drop next week throughout Co Tyrone.
"We are trying to generate momentum behind our campaign because if a hospital is located in Enniskillen, it would be detrimental to people living in both counties Fermanagh and Tyrone," she said.
"We are calling for one hospital in two sites. We need a hospital in Tyrone which serves a 150,000 catchment in the county."
The campaigners said they were hoping to meet Ms de Brun in an attempt to persuade her to implement their proposal.
There was shock in Omagh earlier this year when the Acute Hospitals Review Group recommended that Enniskillen should be the site for the new hospital in the west of the province.