The battle for funding for South Tipperary General Hospital where new surgical units and emergency rooms have lain idle for 15 months will take to the streets of Clonmel today.
A protest march in the town will be led by the Mayor of Clonmel, Alderman Phil Prendergast, and angry hospital consultants who have highlighted the risks of having acute hospital services split between Clonmel and Cashel.
The completion of a €30 million development involving the transfer of surgical facilities from Cashel to Clonmel is being held up because of the failure of the Government to provide funding for staffing.
"Patients, very sick people, are at risk every day. Their chances of survival would be much better if they were being looked after in fully staffed and equipped emergency rooms in Clonmel rather than being in the back of an ambulance on a 14-mile journey to Cashel.
"The transfer of the surgical services cannot go ahead all for the sake of €2 million lousy euro," said Clonmel based cardiologist Dr Aiden Buckley.
After weeks of bitter clashes between hospital consultants and Fianna Fáil public representatives on funding, the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, intervened in the dispute.
He said he was disappointed by the generation of local unrest for "naked political gain" and that the Government was fully committed to South Tipperary General Hospital. The march will start at 2 p.m. outside St Mary's Church in Irishtown.