Mallow Hospital’s enemy now is a Soviet-style HSE

IT is a source of great consolation to see the defence of the Bastille that is Mallow General Hospital once again led by a Sherlock.

On this occasion it is Seán, the articulate and clever son of a father who fought on his back for the cause.

There is a subtle difference on this occasion more than 25 years on. The assaulting force now is much better prepared and armed that its predecessors.

When Joe Sherlock ran the show the enemy was readily identifiable. A report had been produced. The Southern Health Board of the time had a vested interest in closing Mallow hospital and tried might and main to do so.

A few, albeit powerful, health board executives tried to huff and puff and otherwise bully provider and consumer alike into accepting their will. Contrary to popular belief, certain tranches of medical opinion in Cork city at the time secretly supported the move to close Mallow despite paying lip service to the contrary. Joe and his cohorts, lay and professional alike, fought the good fight and prevailed. The Southern Health Board at the time administered health matters in counties Cork and Kerry. It was composed of a mixture of local representatives and professional people from the medical, nursing and allied professions. All such representatives had been elected in one way or another. They were thus answerable. This sharpened their taste buds to the electoral ire which the closure of Mallow might excite.

The Southern Health Board no longer exists. It has been replaced by the HSE. This bureaucratic centipede has been, from birth, immune to the danger of ‘electionitis’. It has been vaccinated against answerability and can wade through the swamps of medical administration knowing it is safe from any annoying local government mosquito bites. That they intend to close Mallow Hospital is certain. That intent will be camouflaged in reassuring language that will be impossible to decipher.

Mallow hospital should continue to treat medical and surgical emergencies. Gall bladders, appendicitis, hernias, etc, should be dealt with locally. Cardiac surgery should, of course be treated at Cork University Hospital, as should all cardiac and hi-tech surgery.

Most medical emergencies can also be treated at Mallow and transferred to Cork following stabilisation if necessary. The alternative makes no sense whatever either clinically or financially.

It is certain that a return to smaller administrative units would help save general community hospitals. The inclusion of elected local government representative would restore some democracy to a system that has grown to such gargantuan proportions it reminds one of the Soviet Comintern at its most powerful. It would protect the health of rural communities and hopefully give a dose of reality to the runaway steamroller that is the HSE.

Dr Billy Christopher

West End

Mallow

Co Cork