Fishing industry needs Downe

Fishing industry needs Downe

26 February 2014

RODNEY Harding has been a fishermen in Ardglass for over 40 years. He is all too familiar with the perils of putting to sea to earn a living and the tragedies which have visited the village over recent years.

Well aware of the issues facing the Downe Hospital, Rodney revealed he once spent 24 hours lying on a trolley in the emergency department in Downpatrick because there were no beds available after attending with a vasculitis complaint.

He said the importance of the hospital’s A&E unit to the village’s fishing industry cannot be overstated, revealing that many who earn their living in all sorts of weather could need the Downe at any time of the day or night.

Rodney said fishermen do not look at the Downpatrick hospital’s opening hours before deciding if it’s safe to work on their boats or head out to sea.

“The weekend closure of the Downe’s A&E department is frightening as far as the fishing industry is concerned,” he declared.

“If there was an accident on the boat we need our local emergency department available. Fishermen don’t tie up on a Friday and take the weekend off. That’s now how the industry works.

“If the weather is kind and it’s the weekend, off we go. We can’t decide to stay at home because the Downe’s emergency department is not open. However, the fact it isn’t is something that would be in the mind of a lot of fishermen.”

Rodney said if there was an incident at Ardglass harbour, the person at the centre of the drama faces a lengthy journey by ambulance to Belfast.

“We have a £64m hospital which has not been open a full five years yet and there is no A&E service at weekends. What is going on?” he asked.

Rodney believes the time has come for Health Minister Edwin Poots to directly intervene and do everything within his power to address the recruitment issue to have the Downe’s weekend and early evening A&E service restored.

“The buck stops with the Minister and people are now looking to him to do something. Has Mr. Poots even been to the Downe? I would like to know.

“People in Belfast have their choice of hospitals. People in this district and those who work in the fishing industry in particular do not. They demand and deserve an emergency service at the Downe Hospital which is available seven days a week.”

Rodney continued: “Fishermen in Kilkeel are close to the Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry, those in Portavogie are near the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald, for those of us in Ardglass, it’s Belfast or Dundonald, if the Downe’s A&E remains closed at weekends.

“What a journey to expect someone who is ill or injured to make? Accidents happen in the fishing industry; we need access to the Downe’s emergency department every day of the week.”

Rodney added: “We don’t want to be placed in an ambulance, shipped off to Belfast and to wait our turn — probably for several hours — to be seen by doctors. When they do eventually get around to seeing us, will we get a bed and what guarantees do we have that we won’t have to wait on a trolleys?”