Patients and workers call for better public health service

UP TO 1,500 people took part in a march at the weekend to demand improved health services in advance of tomorrow's budget.

Organised by the Public Health Service Campaign, the event did not match numbers at a similar rally held last March, when more than 4,000 people took their concerns to the streets of the capital.

Protesters on Saturday included members of national patient group Patients Together along with representatives from health service unions and hospital support groups around the country.

Protesters called for greater investment in health services as they marched and for the resignation of Minister for Health Mary Harney. Des Derwin, campaign organiser and president of the Dublin Council of Trade Unions said they were not only demanding that cutbacks in the health service ended, but that the country's wealth was used to improve services around the country.

Campaigners also called for equal access to hospital services regardless of income and place of residence, immediate and major investment in A&E services and a reduction in waiting lists for diagnosis and treatment.

Speakers at the event included Janette Byrne, of Patients Together, Liam Doran, general secretary of the Irish Nurses' Organisation, consultant oncologist Prof John Crown and Audrey Deane, social policy officer with St Vincent de Paul Society.

Also present was Conor MacLiam, husband of the late Susie Long, the health services campaigner who died this time last year after delays in her diagnosis of bowel cancer. Mr MacLiam said he was disappointed by how little had changed in the 12 months since his wife's death.

He said he had visited Our Lady's Hospice in Harold's Cross, where Ms Long died, and was reminded of the dedication of staff there. He said it was hard to reconcile caring health staff with the mess made of the health services.

Ms Byrne said the protest should be an embarrassment to the Government and a source of pride for the people of Ireland who stood united for a first-rate public health service.

"Election promises for an improved public health service must be honoured otherwise they are no more than worthless lies," she said.

Prof Crown said the health services had been pulled to breaking point. He said the country was facing into a terrible crisis and now was the time to reform the health service.

"Now more than ever the absurdity of the waste that is the co-location model will become obvious," he warned.

Mr Doran said he wanted to remind the Government that, just like in the 1980s, health cuts would still hurt the old, the sick and the disabled.

"We must tell Prof Drumm he is wrong when he says he has got to reduce the number of public beds in the health service," he said.

He said on average, 252 people are on hospital trolleys each day around the country this month.

"That's 252 of our friends, our family, our colleagues losing their dignity," he said.

"That's actually 30 per cent worse than this time 12 months ago."

ON THE MARCH

Annie McLoughlin, Sligo:"I'm here in support of my sister, who lost her young husband to cancer in the last few months. He had to travel back and forwards to Galway for radiotherapy, 2½hours it took. She had to fight for his bed, you could be told come tomorrow and then there is no bed when you get there. Staff do their best, but they're up against it as well. I feel very strongly, if I was on crutches I'd still support this protest."

Margaret McDonagh, Donegal:"The cuts in the health sector are just ridiculous; they closed a short-stay ward where I work as a healthcare assistant, at Letterkenny General Hospital. We're fighting to keep what we've got." Rory Colton, Monaghan: "I'm here to support Monaghan hospital. They keep cutting services there. They send people to Cavan hospital and that's overcrowded. The politicians take their own pay rises, but they can't give money for health."

Ciarán Byrne, Dublin:"I'm a medical scientist at the Coombe hospital and I'm worried about the privatisation of laboratory services. They've already outsourced to Quest Lab in the US, it's the start of a slippery road. It's very depressing going into work and being under constant pressure. The money isn't there for the basic materials to perform tests. Mary Harney seems totally convinced about privatising the whole system."

Ruth Bowler, Kerry:"It was very, very hard for my husband travelling up and down to Cork for treatment. He died five years ago. I don't want them to cut any more services in Tralee. My daughter is a paediatric nurse, one day they're cutting her hours, next day they're desperate to have her working. It's not right.