A HOSPITAL IN Fermanagh has gone through a torrid few days after a number of incidents both before and after the death of a patient at the hospital last Thursday.
The Fermanagh Herald reports in its edition published today that a number of anti-social incidents took place at Enniskillen’s South West Acute Hospital following the death of the patient, a man, there on 11 June.
Reports from the hospital staff indicate that a large group of people, thought to be members of the travelling community, took up residence on site after the man was first admitted.
The visitors are understood to have then urinated in lifts, defecated on toilet floors, drunk alcohol on the premises, set off alarms, and set up a makeshift camp (and fires) in the hospital’s accident and emergency car park.
A PSNI spokesman confirmed to TheJournal.ie that the police were called to the hospital on a number of occasions last weekend.
“Police were made aware of incidents at a hospital premises in the Enniskillen area on Thursday, 11 June,” said Constable David O’Rourke.
We responded to a number of reports, including a report of a theft. Police recovered the property and investigations continue. A number of people were spoken to.
Meanwhile, local Police Inspector Roy Robinson told the Fermanagh Herald that “there were concerns from the staff and it’s a beautiful building; it’s sad to see it treated in that fashion.”
I would say at the car parking area, it was virtually all vehicles belonging to them and there were caravanettes there.
There would have been as many as 50 or 60 at the time.
When asked about the suggestion that the visitors had been urinating and defecating on the grounds of the hospital Robinson said “that’s what we’re led by staff to believe.”
They left the place in a bit of a mess. It’s very difficult to handle it.
A spokesperson for the Western Health and Social Care Trust, which manages the hospital, told TheJournal.ie that “an incident occurred at the South West Acute Hospital on Friday 12 June 2015″.
The situation was managed by staff with the assistance from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
A PSNI investigation is continuing.
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