Around 1,500 protesters fighting for the retention and upgrading of services at Monaghan General Hospital held a rally outside the hospital yesterday as the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, arrived on an official visit.
The rally was organised by Mr Paudge Connolly, a member of the North Eastern Health Board, who, along with local TD Mr Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and Monaghan councillor, Mr Hugh McElvaney, voted against adopting the NEHB service plan for this year because they said it did not properly address the hospital's needs.
"The major concern is that this hospital may close completely because the health board executive are chipping away at the services," Mr McElvaney said.
Mr Connolly said that as well as suspending maternity services last year, the hospital had ended post-mortem services and more recently had been referring gynaecology patients to other hospitals in the region.
He proposed the plan be rejected saying that none of the previous service plans adopted by the board had made any reference to the cutbacks experienced in Monaghan.
The plan was passed by a 16-5 majority and will see over €408 million spent on services this year of which 67 per cent of the allocation will go on wages.
During his visit the Minister officially opened a regional headquarters for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland in Carrickmacross.