HSE Has Undertaken No Forecasting of Mortality and Morbidity caused by Shut Down of Sectors of Heath Service
Aontú Leader and Meath West TD has revealed to the Dáil that the government has undertaken no modelling or forecasting of future Mortality and Morbidity caused by the shut down of sectors of Heath Service. In response to a question posed by Alan Kelly Deputy Tóibín stated;
“Alan Kelly has been asking in the Dáil for 2 weeks, what modelling has the government undertaken in relation to future mortality & morbidity that will result from the shutting down parts of the Health Service. He has received no answer from the Minister for Health, not surprisingly. But I can tell him. I asked the HSE the same question weeks ago. They said "None".
“Yet the government has continuously stated that they have made their decision based upon best medical evidence. This untrue as their evidence has been dangerously incomplete. The Minister has shut down Breast Check, Cervical Check and Bowel Check. We know that up to 200,000 women are waiting for screenings and that capacity to screen when the service is up and running will be 50% of what it was pre-covid. We have no date as of yet as to when these services will be up and running. Its beyond time that the health capacity that was orientated towards the impending wave of Covid in March is immediately reoriented back towards cancer screening and treatment. The Minister had no answer at all as to how compacity will be ramped up in these services to deal with the backlog. I asked the Minister specifically as to his input into the ending of these services. After his long answer I am none the wiser as to the truth”.
“The last statement published on the National Screening Service website is dated May 5th. This is not acceptable - there are many women sitting at home deeply concerned for their wellbeing in light of these delays. I called on the Minister direct the NSS to publish updates on their website more frequently, so that women may have a clear source of information”.
Deputy Tóibín also reiterated his call for the Minister to commit to a Public Investigation into the Crisis in the Nursing Home sector. He stated;
“Each week further information emerges with regards what happened in Care Homes and Nursing Homes. A long list of decisions were made that led to those who were most vulnerable becoming most exposed. I cannot think of another situation in the history of this state where more preventable deaths happened in intuitions in Ireland. We in Aontú have called for a full public investigation in what has happened. Care Champions recently come out and echoed out call. Will you commit to a public Investigation Minister”.
