Good for our Health?

MUCH admired for calling a spade a spade, new Health Minister Leo Varadkar has certainly put the cat among the proverbial pigeons with his first official comment on the medical cards controversy.

In effect, with the HSE review of medical cards now frozen, he believes it will be virtually impossible to establish a hierarchy of illness in order to decide who is more deserving of the coveted card.

At present, some 52,232 people have medical cards on discretionary grounds.

From now on, when these cards are dispensed to people who desperately need them, it will be interesting to see whether Mr Varadkar will adopt a more amenable bedside manner or continue in the no-nonsense style which people find impressive.

Either way, he has only 18 months to make his mark on Health.