Madam, – I refer to the letter from Prof Keane of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland (January 21st) and note with some alarm that he never once refers to one of the most distressing problems of our health service – inequality of access. The two-tier system that has grown under the stewardship of Mary Harney is a vulgarity that one would have expected to be mentioned in any letter regarding the current position.
This sentence within the letter, “We have to allocate services so that we deliver the best care to the greatest number”, is unfinished. It should have added, “. . .in a fair and equal manner, based only on clinical need”. Inequality is causing great discomfort and we already have cases where it has been fatal.
The letter also refers to new anti-cancer drugs which are about to become available, yet fails to mention the disgraceful decision to drop the roll out of the cervical anti-cancer jab which has now led to the position whereby those with money will access it, while the less well off are left to go without, or at best, rely on charities to access this life-saving preventative treatment.
And as the cost of this was a mere €10 million, what should have been spotted was that money was not what lay behind the decision, but rather an ideology that is comfortable with inequity.
Would the RCSI like to make any comment on this aspect of what is happening in the provision of healthcare in Ireland at present? – Yours, etc,
JIM O’SULLIVAN,
Rathedmond,
Sligo.