Senior Limerick politician spends 36 hours on a trolley in Limerick hospital

METROPOLITAN leader Kieran O’Hanlon has called for a rapid-build overflow facility in the Emergency Department at University Hospital Limerick (UHL).

It comes after the veteran councillor, 72, was stuck on a trolley in the facility for 36 hours after contracting severe pneumonia.

Just days after the Fianna Fail man, pictured below, was elected district leader, he visited the doctor with symptoms of a chest infection.

The medic ordered he be transferred by ambulance to the Emergency Department. He said based on his experience, what is happening in the facility is “totally inadequate”.

“The trolleys are out on the corridor, parked bumper-to-bumper on both sides. There is barely enough room for any trolley between these.

“It’s so narrow that if you put your arms or fingers outside your own trolley, you are liable to suffer an additional injury,” said the ex-mayor.

Cllr O’Hanlon said he is concerned for people who have conditions like dementia due to the lack of space. He said it could leave them feeling distressed as they might not be able to sit with families around them.

“I’d be worried about infections. You hear of sepsis and the winter vomiting bug. When you see trolleys bumper-to-bumper, it worries me,” he says.

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Cllr O’Hanlon spent his career as an electrical engineer and also raised concerns over health and safety in the ward.

“I was shocked to see a trolley parked in front of an electrical scanner with a clear sign saying this must be kept clear at all times. I dread to think if there was a serious fire, what would happen. I think if there was an emergency, with so many trolleys, it would be difficult to have them moved out,” said Cllr O’Hanlon, who is recovering from the pneumonia.

He wants to see the fire chief carry out an inspection to determine the risk associated with corridor overflow.

The councillor - who has the title as father of the local authority as its longest-serving member - says he has “only the highest admiration” for the front-line staff working on the ward.

After 36 hours he was moved into a bed in a ward, before taking the opportunity to conclude his time in hospital at “my beloved” St John’s in his own parish.

“My thoughts are really with the patients enduring suffering on the trolleys. This has to be addressed immediately,” he said.

During the canvass for his successful re-election bid, Cllr O’Hanlon said many people raised the issue of overcrowding in the Emergency Department

He said: “I promised to do whatever I could, however, you really have to go through a personal experience to see the elderly having to suffer. Surely they are entitled to basic dignity and privacy while waiting to be admitted to a ward?”
He feels a rapid-build might help in this matter, and says he wants to meet new HSE boss Dr Bernard Gloster to discuss the proposal.

A spokesperson for the UL Hospitals Group said they cannot comment on individual cases, due to its requirement to observe its duty of confidentiality.