CervicalCheck scandal - More victims than the 221 identified?

In the weeks before she died, Emma Mhic Mhathúna commissioned five busts of herself for her five children, so they would never forget her face.

She might well have commissioned two more, one to be placed in a prominent place at the headquarters of the Health Service Executive and another in the office of Health Minister Simon Harris. They would serve as constant reminders of the heartache and grief suffered by the families and loved ones of those affected by the cervical cancer scandal.

They would also help keep alive her quest for justice and ensure that neither the HSE, nor the Department of Health would ever ignore women again.

The prospect, now, is that there may be more women than the group of 221 identified by the HSE. Gabriel Scally, who led a review, and Karin Denton, a UK consultant cytopathologist, who assisted, told an Oireachtas Committee yesterday that they have been asking the HSE more questions about the protocols used to identify the original 221 women.

Dr Scally described that protocol as flawed and said he was not aware of any basis for the way the HSE identified the group.

That is a truly shocking assessment, considering that it is barely a month since a leaked report revealed that Dr Scally had determined that he had uncovered what needed to be uncovered and that he did not think a Commission of Investigation into the scandal was needed.

Ms Mhic Mhathúna, who died on Sunday, was one of the most high-profile figures of the CervicalCheck controversy. She was also an inspiration, not just to her friends and family, but to those who were moved by her courageous pursuit of justice and truth, when she knew she was dying.

On May 11, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Mr Harris announced measures to help women impacted by the CervicalCheck scandal, including counselling, medical cards, and free prescriptions.

Speaking the following night, on RTÉ’s The Late Late Show, Ms Mhic Mhathúna said she was glad the Government was finally listening to her, because there had been problems in the health service for years.

In a poignant reflection, she told host Ryan Tubridy: “I’m glad they’re listening to me. It’s unfortunate that it’s taken my life for them to listen to me.”

Ms Mhic Mhathúna exemplified the power that a single, courageous individual can make to effect change and make the world a better place.

So, too, has Vicky Phelan, also affected by the crisis and who continues to fight on behalf of others.

Another young woman who died this week was not connected to the Cerevical Check scandal but she, too, was a force of nature. Jane Anne Rothwell was well-known throughout Munster as a barrister, and as chairwoman of Cork Midsummer Festival for the past five years.

Paying tribute to Ms Rothwell, her festival colleagues spoke of her “infectious enthusiasm, boundless, positive energy, endless kindness, and huge heart”.

The same could be said of all three women.