Sir, – The head of the HSE Paul Reid has taken to tweeting the numbers vaccinated several times a day. While the vaccine rollout appears to have been handled relatively well, the question arises as to whether Mr Reid will be tweeting other less favourable numbers?
There are currently 728 unfilled medical consultant posts; at last count, 20,996 children are waiting for a first-time assessment for occupational therapy; while 16,446 children are waiting for a first-time assessment for speech and language therapy.
The practice of only tweeting numbers that portray the HSE in a favourable light and ignoring less favourable numbers is like something from the Ministry of Truth in a George Orwell novel.
Mr Reid would be better served getting off social media and addressing the huge waiting list for services for children with disabilities, as well as addressing why an increasing number of Irish doctors prefer to move to the other side of the world rather than work for the Irish health service.
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The Irish taxpayer is not paying Mr Reid to tweet, it is paying him to deliver services, including services that are being provided to children with disabilities in almost every other EU country but which the HSE has been failing to provide for years.
– Yours, etc,
RUARY MARTIN,
Sandyford,
Dublin 18.