Galway Bay fm newsroom - Patients in the Emergency Department in Portiuncla Hospital, Ballinasloe are still facing overcrowding and long waiting periods.
That's according to Roscommon-Galway T.D, Eugene Murphy who says the lack of bed capacity in the hospital is a serious emergency.
The Fianna Fail T.D says there was always an issue with overcrowding during the winter months due to seasonal flu however it has now developed into a year-round problem.
He says the process of discharging patients who are well enough to go home or to a step-down facility needs to be accelerated.
Deputy Murphy is calling on the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, and the HSE to address the issue before the peak winter season.
He says his 82 year old mother had to recently wait for 12 hours on a chair at Portiuncula.
