Protest outside Mater Hospital

by John Sun Dec 18, 2005 15:51

Could one of the Labour Party protestors in the photographs please research and post on here: (a) the number on the hospital waiting-list in Ireland in 1997 (b) the number on the hospital waiting-list in Ireland in 2005 (c) per capita expenditure on health in Ireland as a percentage of the EU average in 1997 (d) per capita expenditure on health in Ireland as a percentage of the EU average in 2005.

by pat c Sun Dec 18, 2005 16:05

would you please let us know what political part you are a member of? are you happy with the present operation of A& E rooms?

I;m not. I recently spent 24 hours on a chair attached to a drip in the Mater A&E. People in a worse state than me were also present in dreadful conditions. Old people on oxygen in great pain with no privacy.

yet this government is cancelling the banks levy. thats €300 million back in the pockets of the great and the good.

this is a trade union issue and congress should raise it with the government.

by lynchmob Sun Dec 18, 2005 21:55

According to the World Health Organisation, in 2004 Ireland was 11th out of 15 for beds, 14th out of 15 for doctors, and 2nd out of 15 for nurses. The per capita expenditure increase in recent years is directly linked to the nurses wage claims, and most certainly isn't down to better service. All a comparison between 1997 and 2004 shows is how badly nurses were paid back then. It also shows the fact that the Irish public health system is built around nurses, and not doctors.

by lynchmob Sun Dec 18, 2005 21:57

Sorry, I got the figures from the following site.

by interested Mon Dec 19, 2005 19:14

So why don't they add it as an event into Indymedia and a few more people might come along to the Saturday protest each week

by lynchmob Tue Dec 20, 2005 01:38

Just guessing here, but probably didn't want the SWP parachuting in with the loudhailers. 'More beds for the Mater, and USA out of Iraq' type of thing.

by Carry On Nurse Tue Dec 20, 2005 14:19

The figures quoted for nursing by the WHO relate to numbers registered with An Bord Altranais (The Nursing Board) and not to actual numbers working. The true figures (the whole time equivalents) are in reality much much lower.

80% of the care a patient receives in hospital is delivered by nurses - they are the mainstay of the health service but the service is built around doctors and consultants and appears to operate for their benefit. Anyone with eyes in their head can see that.

by Ho chi quinn Tue Dec 20, 2005 14:42

more public reps than civilians looks more like a photo opportunity than a protest

by Harlequin Mon Jan 30, 2006 14:22

There are only two public representatives in the photo: Joe Costello T.D and Cllr. Emer Costello.