Cllr slams 'calamity coalition' over health service
Aontú leader Peadar Toibin recently asked the government and the HSE a number of times to analyse the cost of closures in terms of mortality and morbidity, but the party claims that no such analysis has been carried out.
Aontú Cllr Sarah O'Reilly is backing a petition calling on the government to reopen all sections of the health service curbed as a result of restrictions caused by the pandemic.
She highlighted the cause while accusing the Government of “obsessing over the most insignificant details of people’s lives” while ignoring what she describes as “the lengthening and deepening crisis” in the day to day health service.
“This is a scandal and one that will have real and lasting consequences for people in this county and country. The FF, FG and Green government want to know what you had for dinner on the 8th of August but still don’t know when Breast Check or Face to Face Mental Health Consultations will recommence. People are going out of their minds with worry about this and nobody is calling out the Government on this issue,” fumes Cllr O'Reilly.
She adds that while the government is “high on regulations” at this point, it appears “low on cop on”.
“Its shocking to say but calamity coalition is doing more damage than Covid to whole swathes of our society,” says Cllr O'Reilly, who states that right across health services, key delivery is either closed or running at reduced capacity.
“Doctors and Nurses are doing the best they can within the restrictions and budgets that are available but hundreds of thousands of people suffering from many different ailments are in critical unmet need.”
Aontú leader Peadar Toibin recently asked the government and the HSE a number of times to analyse the cost of closures in terms of mortality and morbidity, but the party claims that no such analysis has been carried out.
“Cancer screening services for Bowel, Cervical and Breast cancer are down 75-80% in 2020 on 2019. Capacity to screen or treat for Cancer is down at least 30%. Bowel and Cervical Cancer screening services have begun but nowhere near what is needed to address the demand. Shockingly Breast check screenings are scheduled to return some time in late September or October – with 100,000 women currently waiting. Existing services are not fully returned and even if they do return are completely inadequate to the massive demand that now exists.”
Cllr O'Reilly added with regard to mental health services that many people have experienced heightened levels of anxiety and stress as a result of the pandemic.
“Shockingly, face to face counselling has failed to return in many areas. It is likely more people have died from suicide in Ireland in August than Covid-19. We have also seen a further reduction in the number of mental health critical care beds across the country – leaving Ireland with the lowest number of mental health critical care beds in Europe.”
Mental Health & Intellectual Disability Teams, Community Rehabilitation Teams and peer groups are meanwhile scheduled to reopen in the coming weeks at a significantly reduced level says Cllr O'Reilly. Home support services, Home Based Treatment teams and emergency respite are also set to be dramatically reduced, yet with “no reduction in demand.”
GP and hospital services too are coming under serious pressure, with Cllr O'Reilly stating: “It’s blindingly clear now that we cannot go on with whole sections of the Health Service suspended indefinitely.”
This petition launched, she says, is the “first step” of a campaign to get services open across the country. “We are calling for people throughout Cavan to have their say and sign the petition. We must protect against the threat of Covid-19, but we cannot be blind to the threats posed by the non-Covid Healthcare Crisis. Open up the health service now.”
Petition details HERE.