Further Inishowen ambulance delay increases concern

Inishowen-based Donegal County Councillor Martin McDermott told the ‘Journal’ he has been “inundated” with phonecalls about long-awaits for ambulances in the peninsula since raising the issue a few weeks ago.

He said the incident on Friday night in Culdaff occurred during a football match when a player broke his leg and was the latest in a number of concerning delays.

Colr. McDermott said the man “lay on the pitch” for an hour and ten minutes waiting on an ambulance to arrive.

The Fianna Fail councillor said the issue of ambulance cover in Inishowen is at “breaking point” and confirmed he is now due to meet with the National Ambulance Service and the HSE in the next two weeks.

He said: “I’ve been inundated with people on to me about the delays in ambulances reaching people across Inishowen. It is just not good enough. We need a second ambulance in Inishowen. Something seems to be seriously wrong with how calls are being managed in Inishowen. We can’t keep going on without a second ambulance in this peninsula. It has to be rectified.”

A protest was held recently in Carndonagh in a bid to highlight the issue.

Meanwhile, the National Ambulance Service has responded to ‘Journal’ queries about the service in Inishowen, over a week after questions were submitted.