A letter issued by the Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) campaign group to the public supporting their five-point plan for the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) has garnered thousands of signatures since the launch of the plan last Thursday.
As well as listing the health campaign group’s five points, it also states: “I fully support the SOAS plan for the SWAH. My response to the Western Trust consultation is that I agree with the above SOAS plan as an alternative proposal to the temporary suspension of emergency general surgery at the SWAH.”
Volunteers have been out with the letter at various locations across Fermanagh in the past week, and Councillor Donal O’Cofaigh, a SOAS member, said there had been about 10,000 letters signed and more are being printed to go out around the county.
And he said there is a “huge sense of momentum” since SOAS announced their five-point plan last week.
“The community has really lifted this and taken it into their own possession. There are so many initiatives happening – people are just basically deciding that this is too important an issue to be left to the powers that be, and are saying it’s huge.
“I think it is very inspirational for everybody involved in the campaign, the level of voluntarism and commitment that is coming through from grassroots all over the place, right across our community,” added Councillor O’Cofaigh.
With the public consultation on the suspension of emergency general surgery closing on April 9, Councillor O’Cofaigh is hoping for a lot more letters to be signed and handed over to the Western Trust as part of the consultation responses.
“So obviously, we need to encourage more and there are meetings being organised in community centres around the place, and they should be happening in the coming days.
“There’s a huge momentum. People were fairly despondent, but I do think they realise if we demand this, then the powers that be will have to recognise and reflect on the strength of that demand.
“There’s a huge amount of work being done behind the scenes by so many people, and it’s a real community effort, and that’s the way we will defend our hospital,” he added.
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