Say No To A&E Closures!

limerick | miscellaneous | news report

Saturday July 28, 2007 00:01

by Limerick Socialist Party - Socialist Party

info at socialistparty dot net

Limerick, Ennis & Nenagh

086-8064801

Fight for Free Top-Quality Healthcare Now!

A leaked report for the government and HSE contains plans to close down A&E services in St.John’s, Nenagh and Ennis hospitals. If introduced these cuts will put peoples lives at risk throughout the Mid-west region. These plans must be fought by patients, communities and the trade unions.

The report by the firm ‘Teamwork’ will be published in the next few weeks and if it is implemented it will further clog up A&E at the Regional hospital and leave thousands of people in Clare and Tipperary hours away from emergency services. The only reason this is being done is to cut costs.

5 more years of Harneys cuts?

A similar report, the Hanly Report, in 2003 was defeated when around 15,000 people protested in Ennis. This shows that people power can force back the governments agenda. If the government try to implement this new report it must be met by similar protests and even strike action by workers.

The cost cutting and downgrading shows the true cause of the health crisis: a dire lack of facilities, staff and investment. Recent spending has fallen far short. Ireland has been playing catch-up with the rest of Europe since the 1980's when well over 3,000 beds were taken out of the system.

Now the government is running down public healthcare while building up private medicine. Here in Limerick the government is helping their big business buddies build two new private hospitals. This all part of the governments big co-location and privatisation plans.

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A two-tier system

These plans will cost the government milllions which will be funneled into the pockets of the super rich. It will strengthen the two-tier nature of health care where it is wealth not need which dictates what treatment you get. This is part of the wider privatisation agenda and the idea that ‘for-profit’ is better.

All the establishment parties support this idea. Now even the Greens have sold-out those who voted for them looking for an alternative. The Greens seem to be going quietly along with Fianna Fail’s privatisation agenda. The only force that can make the government backdown is a united campaign of health workers, patients and other working class people.

The ‘Opposition’ - we need a real alternative

The supposed ‘opposition’ of Fine Gael\Labour want even more market control of health and when last in government they too underfunded public health care and supported the development of the two-tier system. Similarly, none of the establishment parties supported the nurses in their recent struggle.

The Socialist Party has consistenly fought for a free public health service. Whilst all the establishment parties lined up to attack the nurses, we supported their campaign. We believe the trade unions have a crucial role to play in building a movement to oppose the A&E closures here in Limerick and the wider health crisis. Already thousands of people have taken to the streets of Letterkenny and in Monaghan protesting at a shortage of resources. This shows that a movement can be built, if a leadership is given.

Build the Socialist Alternative

- Do you think the health service should be run for peoples needs not private greed?
- Do you want to see working class people getting organised to challenge the agenda of big business and the government?
- Do you want to see society changed? Do you want a society run for working class people not the profiteers and speculators?

If so, join the Socialist Party - a campaigning party organising for socialist change