Irish War Crimes
Irish War Crimes
Are Human Lives The New Currency?
After years of empty and broken promises, the CFAI have lost total and utter confidence in the Department of Health, the HSE and Minister Harney and have decided to take action into their own hands.
Despite the severity of the issues and the simple request to have a Yes or No answer today by 5pm to the Question: - ?Are the HSE/Department of Health going to honour the commitment given publicly in 2008 to fulfil the promise of having the CF Unit operational in St Vincent?s by 2010??, the only response back was a phone call at approximately 4pm to say that the Minister would not be able to deal with our communication until at least tomorrow afternoon. And at 4.40pm a generic email from Professor Drumm?s office to say that they confirmed receipt of the letter.
It is obvious the contempt they are showing for young Irish people living and dying with CF, their families and loved ones. Orla Tinsley, CF Campaigner stated ?It is degrading to everyone involved that they could not have the courtesy, urgency or even the efficiency to answer one simple question with one simple syllable.?
National Chairperson Sean O?Kennedy, together with the National Council is not surprised by the total lack of respect for the young people with Cystic Fibrosis. ?We were fairly sure that the response we were going to get would be no response. So we have already put our plans in place in case there was no reply. Over the next number of days we will be mounting a campaign both nationally and regionally to reverse the shocking and devastating decision that Minister Harney, the Department of Health, the HSE and Professor Drumm have made.?
Sean added ?The support from everyone, politicians on all sides of the Government, Medical Professionals, the general public and the media has been astounding and all are on board to wage a war against this injustice and Human Rights Issue.?
The ultimate price of inefficiency, bureaucracy, politics, mismanagement and apathy is human lives. As Orla finished by asking ?Are Human Lives the New Currency??
Further information on Cystic Fibrosis and the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland can be found on www.cfireland.ie. A further statement from the National Council of the CFAI will be issued tomorrow morning.
END
Notes to Editor
Ireland has the highest prevalence of Cystic Fibrosis in the World and Ireland has the most severe types of Cystic Fibrosis in the World. Despite this Ireland have the poorest resources for Cystic Fibrosis Patients in Europe.
In other countries CF in-patients are treated in single rooms, but this is not available for most CF patients in Ireland, as highlighted in the 2005 Pollock Report.
After a very impactful Campaign in January 08 in the national press with Orla Tinsley and other People Living with CF, Minister Harney, the Department of Health & Children and the HSE publically committed to the 34 bed in-patient CF unit at St Vincent?s and the adjoining CF Day Care Facility with ensuite day care bedrooms would be operational by 2010.
The Proposed CF Unit is part of a 120 bed Multi-story Development, which would include the 34 bed in-patient CF unit and a separate floor for the Day Care Centre encompassing 8 single ensuite day care bedrooms. In the past four weeks contracts have been signed with a Project Manager for the Development Project and there have been a number of meetings with the appointed Architects. Management at St Vincent?s have given the project very high priority and full planning permission has been granted, with an expected completion time of the end 0f 2010.
In the meantime the HSE and Department of Health had agreed to provide 14 interim ensuite rooms. In August 2008, 8 of these rooms became operational, with the remaining 6 proposed by the end of December 2008, which we are still waiting for.
St Vincent?s currently have 300 Adult CF Patients, with on average of at least 25 in-patients in treatment at the hospital at any one time. The CF Team are based in St Christopher?s and St Paul?s Ward and at present there are just a total of 8 ensuite single rooms available, so the majority of CF in-patients do not have adequate facilities and we cannot lie down anymore and take this.
On Thursday evening, 26th March, we became aware that there was a proposed postponement of the promised development and following an EGM yesterday, Sunday 29th Marcy, it was agreed to request formal confirmation as to the status of the development, demanding that we have an answer by 5pm today.
The CFAI know that unless a stand on this now is made now, what hope will there be to get the proper facilities which we require in Galway, Limerick, Cork, Waterford, Castlebar, Drogheda and Dublin?
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