Johnston delighted at hospital progress

Unionist Party candidate for the upcoming Enniskillen by-election, Basil Johnston, has welcomed encouraging remarks from his party colleague and Minister for Health Michael McGimpsey, as the new acute hospital for the South West continues to take shape.

In a statement Basil said: "It really is wonderful to see the new hospital continuing to take shape. Recently, Minister McGimpsey came down to Enniskillen so see how things were developing and he was delighted with the progress that has been made. Just like Tom Elliott and myself, Minister McGimpsey has supported the campaign for an acute services hospital in the county from the outset and we are now all extremely happy with how things are coming along. There has never been any doubt in my mind that we needed the services retained, especially when you take into consideration the rural spread of Fermanagh."

During his visit the Minister made it clear that he views the erection of the new hospital as a development that "will provide the whole community with modern healthcare facilities, fit for the 21st century." Basil not only agreed with this statement, but added that as someone who has lived locally all his life he can truly appreciate just how important hospital facilities are to local people.

He went on to say: "I have lived in County Fermanagh all my life and the desire for a hospital in the area is something that is very real. When people think back about the service of the Erne hospital and its staff through the troubles, including of course the Enniskillen bomb, you cannot underestimate the feeling of attachment there is to the medical services in this part of the world. That is why I am delighted with the vision of the Health Minister, and I'm sure that he will be keeping a close eye on future developments."

"I want to be able to play a full part in helping to develop healthcare in Fermanagh at a Council level. As part of this I will seek to work with health professionals and continue to support the desire for progress while maintaining the already high standard we have come to expect. It is one of the many aspects of my campaign for the by-election that I am taking very seriously. At the end of the day, we cannot take health lightly and now that we are going forward with the new hospital we need to make sure that we maximise the opportunity for top class healthcare and give the new acute service the best possible start."