The Archbishop of Tuam, Dr Michael Neary, will lead a delegation to meet the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, on Monday in an attempt to retain the services of the Bon Secours Hospital, which is due to close next month.
The Bon Secours Sisters announced some weeks ago that they would be closing the hospital, known as The Grove, in December following a breakdown in talks with the Western Health Board over a possible takeover.
The meeting with Mr Martin was arranged by Tuam councillor Mr Paddy McHugh and the deputation will include Dr Mary Waldron, secretary of the Tuam Hospital Action Committee, Ms Carmelita Gibbons, a member of the hospital nursing staff, GP Dr Enda Harnon and Town Commission chairman Mr Joe Burke.
Mr McHugh said: "We will be lobbying the Minister to retain the Grove and indeed to upgrade it to community hospital. The plan is that we are asking the Minister to replace the Grove as a community hospital . . . for north Galway."
Mr Martin is to be presented with a petition calling for the services of the Grove to be continued or for funding to be provided for a replacement community general hospital.
The East Galway TD, Mr Paul Connaughton, who collected the signatures, said he had never experienced such a response on any issue and close on 2,000 people had signed.
