Tyrone has a Nationalist majority who feel they are continually being treated as second-class citizens. Tyrone is the largest county in the North of Ireland with an area of 1,220 square miles, but it has less than 20 miles of highway. The county railways were closed down in the 1960s by the Northern Ireland parliament, which was controlled by forces supporting continued British rule--thus cutting off one of the main links to Donegal, which lies across the border in the Republic of Ireland.

In recent years the hospital has lost many services, including pediatrics, maternity, and orthopedics units. A further 18 beds were eliminated on July 2. The government recently set up a committee headed by Dr. Maurice Hayes to make recommendations on hospital provisions in the North of Ireland. His report proposes the abolition of the casualty; intensive care; ear, nose, and throat; and renal dialysis units. The withdrawal of these services is equivalent to the withdrawal of the hospital, say local people.

All six local assembly members have declared their support for the campaign to retain hospital services. They signed a declaration saying, "We feel we are being treated as second-class citizens in the matter of health-care provision."

The Hospital Campaign for the Rural West, which is leading the fight to save the services, states that the Hayes report implies, among other things, that people in Tyrone cannot have accidents or emergencies on weekends or after 5:30 p.m. on weekdays. Nor can they have heart attacks outside of office hours. The organization says that Hayes's prescription amounts to, "If symptoms persist, move to another county."

The 20,000-strong crowd included children from all local primary and secondary schools, both Protestant and Catholic, as well as local workers and farmers. The crowd gave a large cheer when Sinn Fein MP Pat O'Doherty was introduced. Many of those present carried placards saying, "Who will stitch us up?" and "One pill we won't swallow."

Speakers at the rally included Doreen Preston, Paddy Montague, and Michael Moore, all of whom are from the community. Preston, who was badly injured in the Aug. 15, 1998, bombing in Omagh, said she believes she would have died if the local hospital did not have an accident and emergency unit. "I want to save the accident and emergency services. I want these available all day, everyday," she said.

Montague, a local worker injured more than a year ago in a fall from scaffolding, said he lost his hearing in the accident but was very grateful for the treatment he had received from the ear, nose, and throat unit--also marked for closure under current plans.

Twenty-four-year-old Moore came from his hospital bed to attend the rally. He has been in the hospital for renal dialysis three days a week for the past six years. Under the Hayes plan he will have to travel 70 miles to Belfast for the treatment. "I need this unit to survive," he said. The director of the renal unit agreed and said that under the Hayes plan "care of acute renal patients will be lost. These are the facts."
 
 
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