SIPTU is to organise a series of regional demonstrations around the country to make health a central issue in the next election. The union has over 30,000 members working in the health services and delegates passed a series of motions at yesterday's conference calling for "radical" improvements, including free medical cards for everyone.
Both Government parties came under attack from speakers, especially the PDs. Ms Helen Murphy, a nurse from Galway, said "health is more important than pay". It was "obvious that the next election will be fought on the health issue.
"Crawling out of the woodwork in the last fortnight were the PDs demanding immediate medical treatment for everyone, either within or without the health services. They are getting a bit concerned after four years in Government when they did nothing.
"This is all about votes", she said. "After four years of progressively destroying the health service, the PDs expect us to believe they are genuine.
"A day may be a long time in politics but the last four years in the health services have been intolerable."
Dublin services branch secretary, Ms Chris Rowland, said she had two members earning between £7 and £8 an hour who each had to borrow between £3,000 and £4,000 from a credit union to obtain orthodontic treatment for their children.
The health services urgently needed more staff, and better paid staff.
Mr Jimmy Jordan, of the broadcasting branch, said even RT╔'s Pat Kenny seemed amazed when fellow broadcaster Mike Murphy told him on last week's Late, Late Show that he had gone to his GP with a hand rash on Monday and had a triple bypass in the Blackrock Clinic by Tuesday afternoon.
"If he had been a public patient Mike Murphy would still have a rash on his hand and would probably be dead by now."
Fianna Fβil also came in for criticism. SIPTU national executive member Mr Noel Polcock said the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, had come out of the special Government meeting at Ballymascanlon denying there was a health crisis.
The Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, left the same meeting "with his strutting guffaw that he had to know that any more money given to health would be spent properly.
"Then Mary Harney comes along with the final knife in the wound of the public health services promising £50 million to consultants to treat more patients in the private sector."