by Louise Doyle
A NEWLY announced candidate contesting the forthcoming local elections has vowed to continue to fight to see all services reinstated at Churchill Health Centre.
In February, Ulick Hughes was unveiled as a Sinn Féin candidate to stand in the local elections for the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District.
The 25-year-old has been working on the issue of Churchill Health Centre alongside Deputy Pádraig MacLochlainn.
The Churchill centre closed during the Covid 19 pandemic, and the Kilmacrennan centre closed recently, with a bus service bringing patients who have appointments to the Health Centre in Milford.
Last month, Deputy MacLochalinn sought an answer from the Minister of Health on when the HSE will reinstate the five day a week doctor/GP service at Churchill Health Centre.
But in a written response from Head of Service, Primary Care, Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal Leitrim Monaghan and Sligo, he was advised that the GP practice concerned “never provided a five-day-a-week doctors surgery service in Churchill”.
“Prior to Covid, the practice operated a longstanding one hour-hour slot twice a week between 12 and 1 o’clock on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
‘Changed significantly’
“The GP practice has outlined that the face of modern general practice has changed significantly in recent years and the introduction of the Chronic Disease Programme by the HSE has seen a significant shift in how they, as GPs, are expected to manage long-term illnesses in general practice.
“The HSE will continue to attempt to negotiate with the practice to see how a service can be reinstated to Churchill in the near future.
“In the meantime, the Churchill Health Centre remains open, with Public Health Nurse services currently running lactation clinics, wound clinics and child developmental at the centre,” the response states.
Mr Hughes said he and Sinn Féin will “continue to fight until this is resolved”.
“We are actively trying to get GP services reinstated for our community to ensure essential healthcare is accessible to all in Churchil/Glenswilly.
“We will continue to fight until this is resolved.”
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