Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal Mhuire Lourdes) is a public hospital located in

Drogheda Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...

County Louth County Louth ( ; ga, An Lú) is a coastal county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of Meath to the south, Monaghan to the west, Armagh to the north and Down to the ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. It is managed by

RCSI Hospitals RCSI Hospitals ( ga, Ospidéil RCSI) is one of the hospital groups established by the Health Service Executive in Ireland. History The grouping of hospitals was announced by the Irish Minister for Health, Dr. James Reilly TD in May 2013, as part ...

History

The hospital, which was commissioned on the initiative of Mother Mary Martin of the Medical Missionaries of Mary, was opened as Our Lady of Lourdes International Missionary Training Hospital in 1955. Obstetrician Michael Neary was found to have performed an excessive number of

hysterectomies Hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus. It may also involve removal of the cervix, ovaries (oophorectomy), Fallopian tubes (salpingectomy), and other surrounding structures. Usually performed by a gynecologist, a hysterectomy may be ...

during

Caesarean section Caesarean section, also known as C-section or caesarean delivery, is the surgical procedure by which one or more babies are delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen, often performed because vaginal delivery would put the baby or mo ...

s in hospital during the late 1970s. The Catholic ethos of the Medical Missionaries of Mary has been blamed for some controversial practices in relation to abortion and contraception. In 1983, after Sheila Hodgers died of cancer days after giving birth, an article in ''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

'' alleged that anti-cancer medication and painkillers were withheld to protect her foetus.Yeates, Padraig (2 September 1983)
"Sheila Hodgers - a case in question"The Irish Times
(Dublin). The hospital was the last in Ireland which performed

symphysiotomy Symphysiotomy is an outdated surgical procedure in which the cartilage of the pubic symphysis is divided to widen the pelvis allowing childbirth when there is a mechanical problem. It is also known as pelviotomy, synchondrotomy. Introduction Sym ...

(widening of the pelvis during childbirth) and did not cease the practice until 1983.

Services

The hospital provides 340 beds, of which 30 are reserved for acute day cases.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Drogheda Buildings and structures in Drogheda Health Service Executive hospitals Hospitals in County Louth Hospital buildings completed in 1955 Hospitals established in 1955 1955 establishments in Ireland