Loughlinstown Hospital

Many times I've read reports about how the people of Wicklow don't want Loughlinstown Hospital to close. I'm sure the primary reason for such thinking is that any of the Dublin Hospitals is too far away. Well, count me as one Wicklow resident who would prefer if Loughlinstown Hospital were closed down.

Last year a family member had the misfortune to end up in Loughlinstown Hospital because that was the hospital "on call" on the night the ambulance was called. My observation of going in and out of there over a protracted period is that being a patient at Loughlinstown Hospital puts you on the fast track to God. Call me old fashioned, but I had the impression that a hospital's reason for being was to help you remain alive.

At the time, I wasn't sure if I was seeing everything correctly, but in light of a recent experience with St. Vincent's Hospital in Dublin, I'm convinced that overall Wicklow's ill and injured would be far better off in St. Vincent's than in Loughlinstown. Yes, it's 20-25 minutes further away and that may be telling in a few cases. But, the quality of the care at St. Vincent's is so far superior to Loughlinstown that I am convinced that more lives will be saved than lost by closing Loughlinstown Hospital.