Sir, – Ireland’s recently elected President, Michael D Higgins, is about to undergo knee surgery to repair damage from an old injury (Home News, December 12th).
However, instead of gracing the halls of one of the public hospitals, in or near Dublin city, he’s chosen to avail of a well-known “private” hospital in Galway.
The idea of our President rebuffing the country’s public healthcare system in favour of a private institution certainly does not instil confidence in those thousands of ordinary citizens who have no other alternative but to place themselves into the HSE’s care. – Yours, etc,