A campaign led by health workers which will see protests and demonstrations across the country against private hospitals will be unveiled at the weekend.
The campaign, by the Health Services Action Group (HSAG), is supported by the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) and the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO). A conference in Liberty Hall on Saturday aimed at "kick-starting" a campaign against the privatisation of health service, will ask: "Is our health system for people or profit?"
Dr Christine O'Malley, vice- president of the IMO, said that while private hospitals such as the Blackrock Clinic had provided an "important safety valve" for the public system, they were not the answer to the crisis in the national health service.
Speaking at a HSAG press conference in Dublin yesterday, she said there was "huge anger" among health professionals that the Government was subsidising private hospitals with taxpayers' money while the "public system is being run into the ground".
An "avalanche" of private hospitals was in the pipeline, said Dr Peadar O'Grady, a child psychiatrist. He gave examples of the Shannakiel clinic in Co Cork, Adare Manor hospital in Co Limerick, Hermitage in Lucan, Co Dublin, ReNaasance in Naas, Co Kildare and the Blackberry Medical facility in Limerick city.
"There are now five hospitals in Co Galway. Meanwhile, Monaghan hospital is being closed because the HSE says five hospitals are too many in the whole of the north-east. It makes no sense," he said.
Dr John Barton, chair of the HSAG, said the private health system, which was being "grown" in parallel with the public system, "will lead to longer waiting-lists and a more stretched service in the public system as scarce re- sources, such as consultants, are drawn out of the public system".
Madeline Spears, president of the INO, said: "We would be far better as a society to invest in public beds in public hospitals."
For information on Saturday's conference phone 087 9879489 or email healthconf2611@yahoo.com
