Doctors say HSE's extra 63 beds 'only a drop in the ocean'
The Irish Medical Organisation has said the Government's response to overcrowding in our hospitals is too little too late.
The body's comments come after the number of people on trolleys this week reached a record high of over 600.
The Health Minister Simon Harris met the Emergency Department Taskforce yesterday to discuss efforts to deal with the situation.
President of the IMO Dr John Duddy said the crisis would only get worse if adequate action is not taken.
"We feel the HSE's response is too little, too late. When the Winter Initiative was announced towards the end of 2016 we felt it would not be adequate to deal with the expected overcrowding that would happen in the winter, and that has proven correct.
"It's well know we don’t have enough beds in the system and adding in 63 is only drop in the ocean."
The HSE this week announced that among its steps to handled the acute overcrowding, it would open an additional 63 acute hospital beds, along with 60 'transitional care beds' across 10 acute hospitals.
Twenty-eight beds were opened in Galway yesterday. The remaining 35 will be opened in the next four to six weeks, as staff become available.
The IMO has said at least 1,000 extra hospital beds are needed immediately.
