Sir, - Kevin Myers's attack on Doctor Leo MacAuley (March 26th) over his stand on vasectomy operations in Letterkenny Hospital ignored a number of points: (a) The objection was to social vasectomy as opposed to the operation for reasons of health (a very rare condition). (b) Three doctors took their stand at the Hospital in their own form of "Freedom of Speech" - the attack by Kevin Myers was almost totally against Dr MacAuley. (c) The performing surgeon/doctor was brought in from Northern Ireland, giving the impression of back door intrigue.
Normal procedure of discussion, of a new hospital service, with the Medical Staff in the Hospital was not adhered to.
Vasectomy for self centred pleasure is a matter of contention. If we regard human life as sacred, as many people in Ireland do (look at the abortion debate over the past 10 years) we have the right to protest, in whatever form, to the destruction of life, or to unnatural methods of preventing it. The doctors protest was their way of doing this. - Yours, etc.,
Convent Road,
Letterkenny, Co Donegal.