Dr Kevin Connolly worked as an obstetrician for over 30 years.
Portiuncula hospital should be as safe as any hospital in the country to deliver a baby.
That's according to a retired Midlands doctor who believes the Ballinasloe facility needs to be properly staffed and equiped rather than downgraded.
It follows the transfer of women with high risk pregnancies from the unit after a number of separate HSE investigations.
These were into cases of babies suffering brain injuries during or after birth in recent years, with two external reviews into stillbirths in 2023,and the death of a baby in May 2025.
Dr Kevin Connolly worked as an Paediatrician at Portiuncula Hospital for 33 years and attended a rally over the future of Portiuncula Hospital last night.
He says the decision falls on the Minister for Health now:
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