Dirty hospitals need a Florence Nightingale
It is obvious that nobody in this Government is in the same league as the Crimean War heroine who reorganised British field hospitals with a strong focus on hygiene, and helped bring the mortality rate in those awful places down from 40% to just 2%.
The admission by Health Minister Mary Harney, via a report from the HSE, that hygiene standards are inadequate in 91% of hospitals, and that Cavan rates as minimally compliant while Monaghan is only partially compliant, is a damning indictment at a time when patients are going into hospitals to be cured and coming out with MRSA and other superbugs.
The minister insulted patients and their families when she admitted she herself would be worried about going into some of our hospitals.
Does she forget that this is ultimately her responsibility?
Over a year after taking office as health minister, and entering her ninth consecutive year in government, she cannot divorce herself from problems in that way.
How are we to have confidence in our health system now? Total change and a fresh start is needed.
Sean McKiernan (Jnr)
‘Trinity Bungalow’
Virginia Road
Bailieboro
Co Cavan
