The main community group behind the campaign to save the Midlands Regional Hospital in Portlaoise from downgrade has announced that they will be holding a public protest in the town on Saturday, December 2.
In a statement issued this evening they say they will have a peaceful rally entitle ‘Light for Lives’ on Saturday week.
“The Portlaoise Hospital Action Committee acknowledges the appetite of the public to demonstrate their protest at the recent leaked reports and comments, which were made by Dr Susan O’Reilly on behalf of the Dublin Midland Hospital Group,” they said in their statement.
“We wish to announce a peaceful rally ‘Light for Lives Rally’ in support of (the) Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise.”
While no specific details have been announced yet, it is believed the rally will take the form of a candlelit vigil and will culminate at Laois County Council.
The event will run from 5pm to 7pm with an exact meeting point yet to be decided upon.
The decision is the latest step by the Hospital Action Committee, who are this week holding a series of meetings in towns outside Portlaoise.
Meetings, chaired by a committee member and also attended by a Laois GP, are taking place in Mountrath and Abbeyleix this Wednesday evening with similar meetings scheduled for the Graiguecullen/Killeshin area, Portarlington and Mountmellick on Thursday.
The group also hit out this week at Susan O’Reilly’s visit to Portlaoise Hospital as a “distasteful PR stunt”.Â
SEE ALSO – Hospital group to visit towns outside Laois as campaign to prevent downgrade escalates
