Madam, - Maurice Neligan deserves praise for being outspoken in his criticisms of our two-tier health system. He frequently voices his opinion in his column in this paper and was also right to use his recent TV profile to hammer home this message.
However, it seems a little rich for one who was a major player in, and a contributor to, this two-tier system to be now so critical. Surely he should apologise to the many families who lost loved ones purely because they could not afford his or other private services.
Such an apology might nudge present-day consultants who partake in this two-tier system to realise that their actions are ethically wrong. If all patients were treated in accordance with need, our politicians would be forced to provide equitable quality medical care for all. - Yours, etc,
Dr NOEL RICE, General Medical Practitioner, Kilrainey, Moycullen, Co Galway.