EALING Hospital workers and other workers throughout Ealing and Southall are stopping work for two hours tomorrow and joining the march to keep the Maternity Unit open.
Ealing Hospital Maternity has delivered more than 3,000 babies a year, for many a year, but management intends to close it down tomorrow. The entrance to the Maternity has been occupied for one week, since the hospital management began barring the doors to pregnant women for appointed deliveries last Wednesday.
Workers and patients employed at the hospital spoke to the News Line yesterday. GMB Rep Domingos, employed at the hospital by private company Medirest, said: ‘This fight is so important, and we GMB members are determined to save the Maternity.
‘There are 170 of us at Ealing Hospital and we are organising so that while patients are cared for and receive their food at lunchtime which they need on Wednesday, the rest of us will join the march. We know that other unions in the hospital are doing the same.’
Joginder Saroe, a Unite member and member of the Indian Workers’ Association, joins the occupation daily. He told News Line: ‘This Wednesday’s march is decisive. We are telling everybody to stop work for two hours and for the shops to close their doors. The majority of shopkeeper have agreed to shut up their shops. The fight for this hospital concerns everybody living in the area.
‘We all know that if management get away with closing the maternity, they will proceed with their plan to shut down the whole hospital. I think Cameron is taking revenge on us because we are all Labour supporters. A lot of people are very worried about what will happen to us if we lose our hospital.’
Nora Vahardrian, stopped at the occupation and said: ‘I work for Mental Health next door. I don’t know how the other hospitals will cope. This is the main maternity in the borough and highly praised. We never have any complaints. We know the nurses, brilliant nurses, We know the gynaecologists.
‘Of course they want to come back, all of them. They are sending them to Northwick Park, Hammersmith, some of them they are making redundant. What are they trying to do? I work locally because I live locally. I have babies, I have children, imagine if I had to travel for two hours every day. I am stopping work and marching on Wednesday’.
Heavily pregnant Kanchan Bogata came to maternity and said: ‘My first baby was due on 26th June, so I am overdue. I wish to have it here. They are transferring me to Northwick Park in Harrow. I live in Greenford and this is my local hospital. I have been coming here throughout my pregnancy. I don’t know Northwick Park at all. This maternity has to be saved’.
Malik Bashir a British Gas worker, said: ‘I’m a GMB member, and I am stopping work and coming on the march. I have lived in Ealing all my life. All my three children were born here, and my daughter is in here. I can’t give anymore reasons than that. It’s a necessity.’
Surinder Grewal a Southall grandmother and daily occupier told News Line: ‘My family all live in the same road, and we are very happy. What makes this so is that Ealing Hospital is just around the corner, walking distance.
‘I’ve been coming to the occupation for a few hours every single day to save our hospital and make them reverse the decision to close it. And I am prepared to come every day in the future until I die. I keep spreading the word, leafleting, telling people on buses and in the shops, and bringing my friends – these are my two friends here today.’
