By Conor Sharkey
THE family of Strabane pensioner Mary McGinley will step up their quest for answers tomorrow (Friday) with the first in a series of protests outside Altnagelvin Hospital.
Mrs McGinley died from pneumonia in Altnagelvin hospital in January 2007. At some point between her death and the examination by the coroner, her body sustained 34 rib fractures and a neck injury.
The family remain convinced that the truth behind their mother's injuries remain within the confines of Altnagelvin Hospital, a claim constantly denied by the Western Health Trust.
Following tireless campaigning however, the eight McGinley children recently appeared to closing in on answers, with Altnagelvin changing their statements with regard to what happened in the immediate aftermath of the pensioner's death.
This uncertainty gave the family renewed hope and recently prompted them to call for an immediate public enquiry.
Last week however, their hopes were dashed when Health Minister Michael McGimpsey said he did see not what further light such an enquiry would throw on the case.
The Minister's decision has outraged the McGinley's and tomorrow they will take their plight to the doors of Altnagelvin, where they will hand out leaflets detailing their case.
smashed up
And speaking to the Strabane Chronicle yesterday, James McGinley said the protest was only the first step on their journey towards the truth.
"The bottom line is that a body was smashed up in Altnagelvin Hospital and the Western Trust are doing all within their power to cover it up.
"They have changed their statements on numerous occasions and we believe that alone is grounds for an enquiry," he said.
"The fact that Michael McGimpsey says we can't have our enquiry means nothing to us. We have the full backing of the eleven members of the Stormont Health Committee and McGimpsey can't just ignore them or the 14,500 people who signed our petition.
" He has basically told us to sit down and shut up but we won't and he has to realise that.
truth
"Our protest starts tomorrow and it will continue until we are satisfied with the answers we receive," James said.
And while the McGinley siblings are prepared to meet with representatives from the Western Trust, there will be no formal meeting until the truth is outed.
"We can't meet with people who are blatantly covering up what happened to our mother. We don't want to sit down with the people who are hiding the truth and refusing us answers.
"We will sit down and discuss this with an independent and honest panel but not those involved in this cover up," James said.
The protest will be held outside Altnagelvin Hospital at 10am tommorow and public support is welcome.
