Will you write to Mary H about the latest health cuts scandal?

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Sponge

A great way to vent your frustration, but as for affecting change, I won't bother as an individual. Instead, we need mass mobilization of Irish citizens to march on Government House, we need thousands of letters pouring in voicing our displeasure, and we need policy makers and researchers to get on board and attempt to reverse these cuts, and to predict and document the future fall out as a consequence. We need a government and health minister that passionately cares for the health and well-being of Irish citizen. Most of all we need action rather than constant complaints from ordinary citizens who in actual fact do little else. If we let them get away with it, then simply put they will.

It is a shambles plain and simple. It consists of a two-tiered structure. One tier is for public patients and it is inadequate beyond belief. For example, people with a suspected brain tumour might be told to wait six months for a scan. Those awaiting orthodontic treatment on the public list are waiting up to five years for consulation, never mind beginning treatment.The second tier for those lucky enough comparitively to have private health insurance is better but not compared to the Canadian, Swedish, Cuban (yes you heard me, surprisingly one of the better systems) or UK systems.

Our screening programs (the ones that havent been withdrawn like cervical cancer recently) such as breast cancer screening are not equitable and only availabe to certain groups in certain areas, and have been fraught with diagnostic problems and misdiagnoses of late. There is wide-spread ageism and stereotyping of ethnic groups across the board. The health service also has what you might call an over-loyalty to brand drugs (and certain companies) when pharmacies could be allowed access generic drugs that are far cheaper.

Our medical card system has recently been shook up by the emergency budget and as a result is now in far worse of a state, resulting in nationwide protests.

I could keep going and going, on the broken promises, the corruption, the poor health outcomes for diseases such as cystic fibrosis (one of the highest rates in Ireland worldwide, one of the lowest survival rates) and leukemia, but I'd depress myself and you too much.

Like a Fox

I'd be afraid she'd eat it.
And even if you did it would be unlikely she would even open it.

agooddub

Have already written to my local TD about the medical cards. Did I expect a reply?....Yes! did I get one?.....No

Flying mop dog

No I won't. We don't have the money for it at the moment. If you don't cut that then you have to cut something else. There is a reason why this has been cut and that is to save something else from being cut. If we weren't in recession I would agree with you but right now we simply can't afford it.

'Please find the money to fund this programme' Yes please cut funding from some other vital programme.

dollymix (now geeky for a month)

I put in my name and email address!=] I'm 14, and my sisters 11 and it would cost too much to get us vaccinated privately. She's going into 1st year in 2 years. Anyway, it's cheaper to protect than to cure!

catdubh1970

A star from Italy for you

Cub!â„¢

Yes I think I will. This has been one of the worst budgets ever! I'm also very annoyed about the education cuts and I was at the protest march a few weeks ago.

Kev

I did! Come on, putting young girls lives at risk when you could be preventing the HPV virus?

Christine

I heard the over time paid to Gardai for the Corrib pipe line protests cost more than this vaccine would have cost, if it were implemented. Its funny how money can be found when needed? I work in the public sector, there are job cuts in my direct line of work, the minister says we're over staffed ,but staff in his local constituency won't be loosing any jobs, funny how there is money for his local electorate, whats worse is people actually believe them most of the time.

So I'll send an email too, for what good it will do. mary is a good politician, an intelligent woman, who i think is being used as a scapegoat by Brainless biffo Brian.

Louise Ellen

Definitely. It is an absolute shambles this new budget. But I don't even know why it's a new budget - the government's going back to the feckin' stone age to try save a few euros.

Of course I agree that some cutbacks should be made, why is the Government denying young girls the vaccinations - it could save our lives! They really should be cutting the pay of GPs - 5O EURO for a 45 minute wait (even though I had made an appointment) and then 3 minutes.

50 euro for three minutes! that is crazy!

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