Sir, - Dr Muiris Houston (Health, March 20th) raises many serious issues regarding inequalities of service provision in our health service. He rightly points to the growing chasm between those with private health insurance and those without. The stark reality is that this difference can mean the difference between life and death for some people.
The belief that health care can be viewed as just another consumer product without any moral or ethical dimension needs to be challenged. The Government seems to be doing little to help public patients, in the hope that they will transfer to the private list and so no longer be a "burden" on the Exchequer.
The Government currently spends 7 to 8 per cent of GNP on our health services; the average European expenditure is at the 11 to 12 per cent level. Why, at a time of economic prosperity, is the Government doing so little to expand services to meet urgent needs? What could be of greater priority than the healthy lives of our citizens? - Yours, etc.,
David Whelan, Bray, Co Wicklow.