Sir, – Politicians of all parties, including the Taoiseach, have publicly spoken of their commitment to the provision of a new children’s hospital. The recent news that a temporary board for the proposed new children’s hospital has been set up is very disappointing for all those struggling to cope with the existing substandard facilities (Health, February 12th).
It is apparent those appointed already have difficult and challenging jobs in the health services and with the best will in the world it seems they will be unable to give this essential project the attention it needs. We seem to have a Minister and a Government who, despite all their talk, are unwilling or unable to push this project along at speed. Let there be no doubt, a failure to appoint a permanent board will add many months to this build.
Politicians and Department of Health officials should leave their comfortable offices and meet sick children and their families in one of the substandard wards or overcrowded waiting areas of the existing children’s hospitals. Once there, they should explain the reasons for their failure to provide this hospital to the people who need it most.
As a parent of a child who will soon move to adult services, I will never see the inside of the new hospital, but it is disappointing and frustrating to think many more families and their very sick children will have to endure and struggle as we did. – Yours, etc,
SHAY McCONNELL,
Brandon Road,
Drimnagh,
Dublin 12.