Galway Bay FM Newsroom - Further protests over maternity restrictions at UHG are planned for this coming week.
The Irish Birth Movement has announced it will be holding it's second demonstration at the hospital gate at noon tomorrow (Monday May 24th).
The group has criticised UHG management for not lifting restrictions on birth partners, despite the Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan saying there's "no public health justification for maternity hospitals ban on partners."
Currently, birthing partners of women in labour can to attend UHG once admitted into a single room on the labour ward; they can also attend a caesarean section done under regional anaesthesia.
Partners may visit St Catherine's Ward and St Angela's Ward between 7 and 8pm, while parents of an infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit may visit one parent at a time and fathers can visit for up to 30 minutes.
UHG says all partners will be subject to screening questions, must wear PPE and cannot enter the hospital if they are awaiting a COVID-19 test or test result, or have had a positive test within the last 14 days.
Irish Birth Movement Galway coordinator Jacinta Van Roij says it's essential that all restrictions are lifted for birth partners.
