Madam, - The ISPCA recently called on the Government to implement legislation to ensure the regulation of puppy farming following the discovery of 73 dogs "in atrocious and horrendous conditions". Unfortunately, humans are kept in atrocious and horrendous conditions in our Accident and Emergency departments.
This intolerable and inhumane situation has been brought about by the chronic under-funding and under-resourcing of our health services for 20 years by various governments.
It goes without saying that this situation should be immediately resolved by providing more beds, more theatre space, more consultants, more out-patient facilities and more nurses. In other words, resources need to be aimed at the coal-face of medicine. But the present Minister for Health requests report after costly report rather than providing the funds at the coal-face. If the Minister provided adequate funds to nurses and doctors the delays, problems and atrocious conditions that we find in our A&E departments would melt away.
The job of the Minister of Health and the Department of Health and Children is to provide funds and resources and doctors to care for patients. Perhaps an Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Patients is required to lobby for an improved job performance on the part of this particular Government Department. - Yours, etc.,
Dr TIMOTHY LYNCH, Consultant Neurologist, Mater Misericordiae and Beaumont Hospitals, Dublin 7.