More than 8,000 people marched in Roscommon town last Saturday to highlight concerns over the closure of the county hospital. Protestors gathered at Dr Hyde Park GAA grounds at 11am and then marched to the nearby hospital where they held hands and formed a human chain around the building.
The protestors then marched from the hospital to the town centre in Roscommon for a rally.
The Hospital Action Committee said it would run a general election candidate if it was necessary to save the hospital's services.
On the same day over 1,000 people took part in a public protest in Dingle over the prolonged delay in the opening of a new community hospital there.
These protests follow on from other recent protests in Donegal, Wexford and Limerick. There needs to be a national co-ordination of hospital protests to maximise pressure on the government. All health protests should join the community sector protest in Dublin on the 29th September at the opening of the Dail. This date is also the 2 year anniversary of the bank guarantee scheme that has seen billions wasted on zombie banks and developers. It seems there is endless money for banks but nothing for the health service.