Kilkenny meeting demands better health service for all

Every Irish person deserves a better, equal standard of health service - that's the key message from the 'Still Waiting Health Campaign' which held it's first public meeting in Kilkenny last week.

On October 6 the campaign will hold a national demonstration in Dublin city centre. In advance of that a meeting was held in Kilkenny, last Thursday evening, with speakers from the groups who have united in this campaign - Linda Comerford of the 'Enoug his Enough - Every Voice Counts' group, Conor MacLiam of Solidarity, Liz Curran of the INMO, and Paul Bell of SIPTU. The meeting was chaired by local Sinn Féin TD Kathleen Funchion.

Linda Comerford told the meeting that there are many small, local campaigns for health services across Ireland and if they come together they have a better chance of their voices being heard.

She said Ireland has a two tier health system that is not benefitting anybody.

Linda called for the implementation of Sláinte Care and an investment of €1 billion in the health system. She also called for the removal of private medicine from public hospitals.

The Still Waiting campaign has the support of the trade union movement.

Liz Curran of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation was one of the speakers who highlighted the pay and staffing issues among healthcare workers. Last week nurses from St Luke's hospital in Kilkenny staged a protest at staffing levels there.

Irish hospitals have not recovered from cuts made after the crash, the recruitment moratorium or even the cuts of the 1980s, she said.

Conor MacLiam, who campaigned for better cancer and hospice care following the death of his wife Suzie Long, said the Irish health system is a social crisis. He spoke out against the two tier health system in Ireland and said Solidarity believe it needs investment of €3.6 billion.

Paul Bell, SIPTU divisional organiser for health services, said he was not sure the public know what it's going to take to bring about change in the system.

Sláinte Care is not perfect but it is the only plan that seems to be agreed across the board, he added. New models of care are going to take a huge political shift.