Protest groups from around the country have come together to oppose plans to centralise acute hospital services.
The Government proposals contained in a report by Mr David Hanly will see some hospitals downgraded.
Mr Hanly's proposals for the mid-west and east coast areas have met with widespread opposition because they involve replacing accident and emergency units at smaller hospitals in Ennis, Nenagh and Loughlinstown with minor injury units which will not remain open overnight.
Opposition groups say under the proposals, patients will be forced to travel long distances for treatment.
At the press conference this morning to announce details of the National Hospital Defence Campaign, Mr Peadar McMahon of the Co Monaghan Alliance outlined the circumstances in which a mother gave birth in the back of an ambulance en route to Cavan Hospital this morning.
The ambulance was called to St Patrick's College in Monaghan, where the woman was staying, at around 4.30 a.m.
As there are no maternity services at Monaghan Hospital, the ambulance had to make the 30-mile journey to Cavan Hospital. The ambulance was forced to stop just outside of Clones and the woman delivered a healthy baby boy with the assistance of ambulance staff.
Mr McMahon said that while it was fortunate mother and child were doing well, this situation could have been avoided if maternity services had been available at Monaghan Hospital.
The National Hospital Defence Campaign comprises eight groups campaigning in Ennis, Nenagh, Monaghan, Roscommon, Athlone, Ballinasloe, Mallow and Mullingar. The group will meet for its first national conference on March 9th.