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Missing Ballybunion man, William Mulvihill. Photo by Gavin O’Connor
A KERRY county councillor claims that a missing Ballybunion man was turned away by University Hospital Kerry before he disappeared.
Sinn Fein Councillor Robert Beasley is calling for an inquiry into University Hospital Kerry policy, after the disappearance of Willie Mulvihill at the end of August.
“My main difficulty is in relation to the fact that authorities in the hospital refused to take him back considering the conditions that he was in he wasn’t fit to be on his own,” claimed Cllr Beasley on Radio Kerry’s Kerry Today programme.
It is claimed that on the night of Mr Mulvihill’s disappearance he was a patient at UHK and signed himself out. He then called to a woman’s house asking for directions, she then notified the Gardaí as she feared for Mr Mulvihill’s well being.
Gardaí then brought to him to UHK where it is claimed he was turned away because of a policy not to admit someone within 24 hours after their discharge.
Cllr Beasley feels Mr Mulvihill should have been admitted and the policy shouldn’t be in place. The hospital is not commenting on the matter.
53-year-old William Mulvihill of Ozanam Villas in Ballybunion, was initially reported last seen in the area of the Kielduff roundabout in Tralee during the Sunday evening, August 21, but Gardai later said the last known sighting of Mr Mulvihill was on Sunday, August 28 in the same area.
