Sir, - Today I got an invitation to an art exhibition at Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital "in aid of the MRI scanner fund. This is incredible. It is an embarrassing disgrace that a national orthopaedic centre should be forced to beg and to huckster for necessary clinical equipment.
Mr Michael Martin, Minister for Health and Children, runs a tenth-rate hospital service. This morning as I write, August 16th, there are 32 patients lying in Beaumont Hospital's casualty department awaiting a bed. Does Mr Martin care? Or does he care that the energies of Cappagh Hospital have to be dissipated in begging for what is their right?
The duty of Cappagh Hospital is clear to me. The board should advise Mr Martin that without full financial commitment for the scanner, the hospital will close down on October 1st. I assure the Board the cheque will be in the post.
Mr Ahern, Mr Martin and Mr McCreevy are good at giving out money for football pitches. Do they care about the sick? Do they care about our hospitals?
I have to say that the board of Cappagh Hospital is doing a serious disservice to the Irish hospital system by assuming an attitude of impoverished supplication. Why should they be suppliant? Why should they publicly beg for support? What Cappagh Hospital needs is not an MRI scanner fund. It needs an MRI scanner. And they will have it by October 1st if they take my advice. - Yours, etc.,
DR Cyril Daly
Killester,
Dublin 5.