Minister's response to growing threat 'irresponsible'

Ireland: The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, has failed to come up with any strategy to properly deal with the threat to public health posed by the SARS virus, the Labour Party spokeswoman on health has claimed.

Ms Liz McManus described the Minister's handling of the Irish response to the escalating global crisis as "irresponsible".

Meanwhile, the Irish Medical Organisation has expressed its concern that GPs treating possible cases of SARS cannot access expert advice while the public health doctors' strike continues.

The Fine Gael spokeswoman on health, Ms Olivia Mitchell, said Mr Martin's "refusal to deal with the public health doctors' strike" was "leaving the public perilously exposed to a lethal disease".

Ms McManus said it was now more than a month since the World Health Organisation declared a worldwide health alert. "Yet Minister Martin has failed to take any visible measure to protect us from the spread of the disease."

Her call for a more public demonstration of action from the Minister and his department came as the IMO's GP Committee described the escalating global situation as "alarming".

Committee chairman Dr James Reilly said new infectious diseases needed to be monitored by experts. "In turn, information and guidelines need to be made available to GPs promptly."

The continuing dispute between the Department of Health and the public health doctors, who provide expert information, "left professionals and the public exposed".

He said claims by the department that it had contingency plans involving GPs and A&E departments in the event of an outbreak were "untrue".

"A number of GPs have received no information or updates on the disease ... Some of the main hospitals in Ireland have also confirmed that they have received no information or details from the department."

A spokeswoman, however, rejected suggestions that the department was not "totally focused on this".

She said contact emergency numbers had been issued to all GPs, hospitals and health boards, and the SARS expert groups continued to meet at the department every two to three days. Travel advisories had been issued at all points of entry to the State "before most other European countries".