Thousands protest in support of Navan Hospital

Up to 9,000 people took to the streets of Navan on Saturday in a massive show of support for the Save Navan Hospital Campaign. It was the second time in two years that massive crowds turned out in protest at the continued downgrading of services at Our Lady's Hospital and the possible night time closure of A&E services in Navan. The crowd were warned by Meath GP, Dr Ruairi Hanley that the threat to Navan Hospital by "HSE morons" had never been greater. He warned the HSE will claim they have experts who will say that Navan is unsafe. "Well if anyone tells you, you are better off on a trolley in Drogheda than a bed in Navan, they are not experts, but brain dead muppets." The march took a route from the Trim Road, down by the Fair Green and Church Hill, up Ludlow Street and Trimgate Street to Brews Hill. The chairman of the Save Navan Hospital Campaign, Deputy Peadar Tóibín said the immense numbers who turned out for the protest were material proof of the value of the hospital to the people of Meath. Cllr Shane Cassells said they had mobilised once more "to send the HSE, James Reilly and our politicians a clear message from the people of Navan and Meath that we are going to keep the services we have and get back what we have lost." Speakers on the stage outside Pairc Tailteann, close to the hospital, also included Deputy Damien English, Sean Nolan of SIPTU and Catriona Nolan, who had been treated in Navan hospital five weeks previously. See Eamonn Norris' video of the march: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3unqhN9vEwU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3unqhN9vEwU