Sir, – This week, following the inquest into the tragic death of Tatenda Faith Mukwata, a solicitor representing the family said they had waited for 17 months for the HSE to explain what happened to Tatenda following the birth of her daughter (“HSE apologises after death of Zimbabwe-born woman six hours after she gave birth”, News, September 25th).
Families of children with spina bifida, meanwhile, continue to raise concerns that the HSE will effectively be commissioning an inquiry into itself.
With all this going on one would have to ask what possessed senior HSE management to decide to celebrate “Open Disclosure Week” this week?
HSE executive managers would be far better served pausing and listening to those wronged by the Irish health service and the HSE rather than engaging in publicity stunts that at best could be described as crassly insensitive and given the events of this week tone deaf and grossly offensive.
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Victims of birth negligence and parents of children with disabilities can attest that all the HSE publicity stunts in the world will not address the HSE’s long-standing and deeply embedded culture.
Based on its record for dealing with failings, “Deny, delay and hope the problem goes away” might be more appropriate than “Open Disclosure” for the HSE. – Yours, etc,
RUARY MARTIN,
Dublin 18.
