Madam, - The newly issued booklet on preparing for major emergencies opens with the words: "A major emergency is an event which, usually with little or no warning, causes or threatens injury or death". How better to describe the effects of stroke? Yet, as shockingly revealed by Fintan O'Toole (Opinion & Analysis, April 15th), our health service virtually ignores the 350 to 500 unnecessary annual deaths from stroke by virtue of its failure to provide basic services to treat this condition. While more than 90 per cent of UK hospitals have a stroke unit, he writes, the Irish figure is a derisory 3 per cent.
Much has been said and written in recent days in praise of the dynamism and integrity of Taoiseach-elect Brian Cowen. There is a golden opportunity for him to prove these qualities by immediately addressing this catastrophic situation. - Yours, etc,
ANNE CAHILL, Clondalkin, Dublin 22.