At least 70,000 expected at rally to demand better healthcare

ORGANISERS of a rally for better healthcare being held in Dublin this weekend will be disappointed if at least 70,000 people do not turn up to demand better health services across the country.

Patients, hospital workers and trade unions will march to the Dáil on Saturday expressing anger in the Health Service Executive over restrictions in hiring staff and mismanagement of services.

The title of the rally will be “Enough! A decent public heath service now!” The group of organisers includes the Dublin Council of Trade Unions and campaign groups.

They say a failure by the public to go out and have their voices heard will give the Government a mandate to privatise the sector, cut public beds and close regional facilities.

Janette Byrne of Patients Together said she expects huge numbers: “People who have never been affected by the health service, horrific or not, are saying they want to come out and support us,” she said.

President of the trades council Des Derwin of SIPTU said anyone who wants change in the health services should join the march.

“The airwaves have been saturated for months by horror stories from desperate people calling in and we feel it is now time that the trade unions, patients’ groups, hospital groups and the general public got together to made one clear statement: enough is enough.

“We are a wealthy country, we can afford a decent public health service. That is what this is about, a decent public health service,” he said.

President of the Irish Nurses Organisation Madeline Spiers said the health service is almost as bad as it was in the 1980s.

“The health service is being run by accountants and economists who know the price of everything but the value of nothing,” she added.

Ms Byrne said the march will honour Susie Long, a Kilkenny mother who died of bowel cancer last year, after campaigning for better services. Her husband, Conor MacLiam, will speak at the rally.

Ms Byrne said: “Sadly every week brings a new horror. A lot of the groups have said that people are coming up to them in the streets asking when are we going to do something and stand up for our health service. This is what this is about. It is the unification of lots of groups.

“If we can remember Susie Long, she really wanted this campaign and in her words a hurt for one is a concern for all,” said Ms Byrne.

The rally runs from Parnell Square to Molesworth Street in Dublin next Saturday at 2.30pm.

Speakers include consultant oncologist John Crown; Dr Orla Hardiman, Doctors Alliance for Better Healthcare; Peadar McMahon, Monaghan Hospital Community Alliance; members of trade unions and the MRSA and Families network.

SIPTU will be running buses from its regional offices to the march.