Illogical dispute puts lives at risk

IN the on-going dispute between doctors and health boards, today’s threatened all-out strike will severely curtail the ability of the health service to cope with outbreaks of infectious diseases such as the epidemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) currently sweeping the Far East.

While there has only been one case of SARS here, it is extremely worrying that the public at large could also be exposed to outbreaks of more commonplace diseases, including the winter vomiting bug, measles and meningitis.

The potential risk makes it absolutely essential for the Labour Court to intervene before matters get worse.