DAVID P. HICKEY, FRCSI,
Madam, - Mr J. Lamont the current CEO of Beaumont Hospital correctly points out that the administration at Beaumont receives a great deal of hard-earned public funds from the community through their taxes. As such the administration at Beaumont is answerable to the public as to the efficacy with which it uses their money.
I for one am delighted that the use of these funds (thanks to Mr Lamont's public response to an article that appeared in The Irish Times, November 19th) is now open to comment in the public arena. I do hope that that now being the case others will avail of this opportunity to engage publicly on this issue.
Under the Constitution and EU law I am entitled to, and under the Hippocratic oath I am obliged to speak out publicly on the shortcomings at Beaumont, in particular, and nationally. Several reports prepared for the "normal channels" over the past 8 years have been ignored thus compelling me to take this route.
The seriousness of the situation at Beaumont and nationally now, I believe, mandates the establishment of a commission of inquiry by Dáil Éireann into the the current crisis in the Health Service out of which a new concept of healthcare delivery could emerge. A commission would allow Mr Lamont and the board of Beaumont fully to express their views and philosophy more eloquently, succinctly and perhaps even more rewardingly (for the patients). Holding the commission in public would underpin the present Government's commitment to transparency, honesty and accountability.
Yes, my views are at variance with those of management and the board at Beaumont. As director of the National Kidney Transplant Service I would be remiss in my clinical and ethical responsibilities if I continue to hold my tongue. The situation has been long festering and having failed with reports and requests through the usual channels the only option left open to me to improve the lot of our patients is to go public.- Yours, etc.
DAVID P. HICKEY, FRCSI, Director National Kidney Transplant Service, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9.