Patrick Walsh’s death - Taoiseach can not pass the buck

THE Government is doing a Pontius Pilate by washing its hands of responsibility in the circumstances leading to the tragic death of Patrick Walsh, who bled to death last week after being refused a basic operation by four hospitals.

In this day and age it is outrageous that a 75-year-old patient suffering from a bleeding ulcer should die for want of an operation at Monaghan Hospital because the operating theatre just down the corridor was closed at 5pm for insurance reasons.

Reflecting the state of this country’s woefully inadequate health service, doctors were unable to find a bed for him at three other hospitals.

When confronted by direct questions from Mr Walsh’s family, it was not good enough for Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to pass the buck to the Health Service Executive (HSE), which is investigating the tragedy.

The Taoiseach cannot disclaim responsibility because the stark reality is that Government health policies over the past eight years have contributed to the growing image of Ireland’s healthcare service as a cold-hearted system where managerial red tape is supplanting the compassion normally associated with the world of medicine.

Understandably irate over her brother’s death, Phyllis Hughes has rightly asserted that “you would not let an animal die the way he died”. Echoing the question uppermost in people’s minds, she wondered what would happen if someone was unfortunate enough to have a bad turn at six o’clock in the Monaghan area?

It would be inconceivable in a third world country for a hospital to turn away a seriously ill patient. The tragedy is that Mr Walsh’s death was totally avoidable.

This scenario reflects poorly on a Government that likes to boast of Ireland’s rating among the world’s wealthiest nations. Indeed, it is a damning comment on a State where bureaucratic red tape can dictate whether or not life saving operations can proceed.

Based on this approach to healthcare, more deaths can be expected if further emergencies occur outside the time limit set by officialdom.

Despite the Taoiseach’s efforts to deflect responsibility, the bottom line is that the buck stops on the Coalition’s doorstep.

Stung by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny’s claim that despite all the promises, there had been ‘no room at the inn’ for Mr Walsh, it was disingenuous of the Taoiseach to argue that his death was not a political issue.

In a sad twist to this tragic saga, days before Mr Walsh’s death the Cavan-Monaghan Independent TD Paudge Connolly had put a question down to the Tánaiste, asking her to restore Monaghan Hospital to surgical on-call status.

Ultimately, the buck stops on the desk of Tánaiste and Health Minister Mary Harney. In response to a Dáil question, Ms Harney disclosed that an intensive care bed had been available at Cavan General Hospital when Mr Walsh needed it. Earlier, it was suggested that no suitable bed was available in the region.

It is entirely appropriate that an external rather than an internal review should be conducted into all the circumstances surrounding Mr Walsh’s death.

The potentially explosive document is expected to be on the Tánaiste’s desk within eight weeks. In the public interest, the report must be published in full to ensure that such a tragedy is never repeated.