STAFF AT the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin have seen their wage packets go down while being asked to do more and more, the master designate of the hospital said yesterday.
Dr Rhona Mahony, the first woman to be appointed to the role of master in Holles Street hospital since its founding in 1894, said financial constraints would be among her greatest challenges when she took up her position at the hospital in January next year.
From Dublin, the 40-year-old is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, and a specialist in foetal and maternal medicine at the hospital.
She studied medicine at UCD, graduating in 1994, with first-class honours in obstetrics and gynaecology. She was awarded the John F Cunningham Medal in obstetrics and gynaecology from Holles Street hospital in 1995.
Married with four children aged four to 13, she will replace the current master, Dr Michael Robson, when his seven-year term ends on December 31st.
Speaking last night, Dr Mahony said she was delighted and honoured to be appointed. She said she was the first woman to apply for the position and felt it was not unusual that she should get it since 84 per cent of the workforce at the hospital were women.
Her role would require a huge amount of energy and the master needed to have “a serious amount of commitment”, she said.
Dr Mahony said she did not believe she would make a better master because she was a woman, but did acknowledge that, having had four children, she would be in a position to empathise with women.
There had been some debate about whether she should be called master or mistress, she said, but she opted to retain the title of master.
Dr Mahony said she was proud of staff at the hospital who had seen their wage packets go down and who were at the same time being asked to do more and more.
“It has been very difficult for staff but they are stepping up to the plate,” she said.
