VHI or Die? (Very High Insurance)

dublin | rights, freedoms and repression | event notice Monday July 03, 2006 13:30 by Martin O'Sullivan - People Before proffit martin_osullivan at vodafone dot ie 66 Edenmore avenue Dublin 5 353878289243

VHI or Die? (Very High Insurance)

A Public Meeting to discuss Ireland’s Healthcare System

At Donnycarney Youth and Community Centre
Tuesday 11th July @ 8pm

Speakers:
Jo Murphy Lawless
Sociologist
School of Nursing and Midwifery
Trinity College Dublin

Jo Tully
Vice President
Irish Nurses Organisation

Organised by Artane People Before Profit:
For more information contact Martin O’Sullivan Tel: 087 8289243

Your are invited to attend this meeting to share your views on what you think Ireland’s Healthcare System should be. We want to build a campaign, with no political party affiliations, for a Health Service that reflects the views and needs of the public.

The Health Service is in crisis…

In 2001, the Department of Health acknowledged that 3,000 more hospital bed places were needed but the government has done little to provide them. On one day alone recently 433 patients were left waiting on trolleys in our hospitals. 100,000 women are denied screening and early treatment for breast cancer because they have the wrong postal address. But it’s not just patients who suffer.

Support the Nurses

The Irish Nurses Organisation has unanimously passed a motion of no confidence in the Tánaiste Mary Harney. They are demanding actions to save the health service pointing out that many lives are being put at risk because of the condition of A & E departments and that medical professionals are leaving the Irish health service because of work conditions. There are 60,000 registered nurses in Ireland but only 40,000 working in our hospitals. Intolerable conditions and low pay are driving many from the profession.

Privatisation of health is a disaster

Harney wants to build private hospitals on the grounds of public hospitals but this will mean greater robbery of the public purse because the state will subsidise these for-profit hospitals to the tune of €40 million for every €100 million invested. This money could have been used to create more public beds. Private hospitals will only carry out operations where they can make a profit. They will not provide A&E services or long term care. They will not train or educate staff. When the tax breaks run out, the owners of the private hospitals can sell them off as private apartments. This is state subsidised profit.

A campaign of all communities and health care workers

The government is deliberately running down the health service and is trying to force people towards privatised healthcare. It’s time for Harney and the profiteers to go. We need a movement in this country that stands for People Before Profit that can challenge the big-business, privatising agenda of the Dail parties.

A Public Meeting to discuss Ireland’s Healthcare System

At Donnycarney Youth and Community Centre
Tuesday 11th July @ 8pm

Speakers:
Jo Murphy Lawless
Sociologist
School of Nursing and Midwifery
Trinity College Dublin

Jo Tully
Vice President
Irish Nurses Organisation

Organised by Artane People Before Profit:
For more information contact Martin O’Sullivan Tel: 087 8289243