Madam, - At the Global Health conference at Trinity College last Thursday Mary Robinson reminded her audience that "health is a human right" (The Irish Times, July 7th). Listening to her, I couldn't help contrasting the rhetoric of such a noble concept with the reality.
If health is indeed a human right, then surely with such rights come human obligations and human responsibilities? Since people in the richer countries, unlike the poor of the third world, have considerable choice about their lifestyles and therefore the diseases and chronic illnesses they suffer and die from, shouldn't they also accept the consequences of their choices?
Considering the wastage of billions of euro in the provision of medical and health services for those who, against the constant advice and promotion of healthy lifestyles, continue to make informed choices that inevitably lead to chronic disease and ill health, the real scandal is the failure of governments to make hard decisions in prioritising the poor, at home and in the third world.
For those who see expenditure only in terms of cost effectiveness, this financial profligacy makes no economic sense. For those who champion the cause of the poor and marginalised at home and overseas, such waste should lead to a cry for the redistribution of expenditure towards those whose basic human rights to health are virtually ignored while costly medical services are provided to those who deliberately ignore good health and medical advice.
Health is a human right, but rights carry heavy responsibilities. - Yours, etc,
Dr VINCENT KENNY, Director, Volunteer Missionary Movement, All Hallows College, Drumcondra, Dublin 9.