We’ve been hearing a lot about our maternity services over recent months yet I wonder have we been hearing enough from those who can tell us most. How much do we actually know about the functional disparities in the provision of quality maternity care across our regions?
I mean relative to what the rest of Europe might consider the basics: Adequate numbers of beds and sufficient space inwards before and after birth; provision and ongoing maintenance of up-to-date clinical equipment; free and adequate drop off/pick up and parking facilities; full staffing with fully trained midwifery teams and family health nurse liaisons to GP, PHN, and gynaecologist; good air quality; the same quality of holistic care — both clinical and supportive — across the services and regions, regardless of
location, public or private access, age, or other circumstances.
How prejudiced are we as a society
towards women having what is an expected level of autonomy and choice elsewhere in every aspect of their maternity care? If we say we want it, why is it not fully possible everywhere?
It’s not something that can be blamed entirely, or indeed in many cases at all, on religion or nursing orders, it has far more to do with how the ‘business’ of maternity services has become funnelled towards fiscal achievement. Aspects of financial gain which are more concerned with marketing particular private boutique care options than making sure the future parents and children of Ireland are treated equally well with the quality of infrastructure and staffing a priority right across the country.
As I write, my grandchild is in the process of being born in Limerick. The parents, as so many, neighbours included, have endured what ought to be needless and cruel separation at this most critical stage of their family life. Most partners want to be there, most mothers want them there.
As far as I can conclude there simply isn’t enough space, onwards or ‘the’ labour ward. Hence the seemingly arbitrary rules and discrepancies on partners, visits, etc. The nursing staff are doing the best they can to provide infection control in constrained circumstances.
And somewhere, probably not a million miles away, there are likely empty beds, rooms, spaces on labour wards, all held for various practitioners’ bookings just as has been the case with other critical health services.
How is that equal and fair provision? How is that democratic? How is that humane? Our grannies are kicking in their graves. Respect is not in evidence all round. Let’s remedy that.
C Walsh
Annacotty
Co Limerick
Catholic ethos will restrict procedures
The Religious Sisters of Charity had to comply with canon law when they requested permission from the Holy See to transfer their ownership of St Vincents’ Healthcare Group (SVHG) to a private charity, St Vincent’s Holdings CLG (SVH). SVH has an oversight role, and its core values, in strict conformity with Catholic ethics, are the same as those of SVHG. The management structure of the new National Maternity Hospital, as proposed in the Mulvey Agreement (November 2016), favours control by SVHG.
In recent weeks, concerns have been expressed in the Dáil about the future governance of the new hospital planned for the Elm Park (Dublin) site. In view of all this, it is difficult to understand Professor William Reville’s opinion that “the one certain outcome in the case of the new hospital is that a Catholic ethos will not operate there” — ‘Cost is more a factor with hospital’ (Irish Examiner, Letters, June 25). What is this certainty based on?
It will indeed be a “real problem” if medical procedures such as contraception, elective sterilisation, and termination of pregnancy are not available in the hospital, especially in view of the escalating cost of building it.
Incredibly, Prof Reville thinks it might be difficult to associate the Catholic Church with our “incoherent and inefficient general two-tier health system”. There is no such difficulty.
The Catholic bishops played a central role in the emergence of this two-tier system in 1951 when they defeated Dr Noel Browne’s Mother and Child Scheme. Catholic religious organisations have played a central role in the development of two-tier healthcare. This is evident in Elm Park, for example, where there is both a public and a private hospital.
Dr Don O’Leary
Mallow
Co Cork
Russian roulette with variant bullet
I received my AstraZeneca jab under protest in April and have yet to receive a second appointment. At this stage it looks like all my children and their partners will be fully vaccinated before me with far more effective mRNA vaccines. However, I am happy that is the case as their work and parental responsibilities leave them more exposed to infection than I am, and their being safe contributes to my being safe.
Far too many people are seeing the vaccination process in purely personal terms when the key thing is to reduce transmission in the community. No one is safe until everyone is safe and everyone is to be congratulated for keeping Covid case numbers down even as the economy and society gradually re-open.
I would, however, appreciate having the choice of an mRNA vaccine when my second appointment finally comes, as two AstraZeneca shots only provide 60% protection against the Delta variant, and I don’t feel like
playing Russian Roulette with those odds.
Frank Schnittger
Blessington
Co Wicklow
Weapons transport at Shannon Airport
Richard O’Donoghue TD has raised concerns with Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney TD over the risks associated with the transport of US arms through Shannon airport — ‘Limerick TD suggests US arms could present threat to Shannon Airport’ (Irish Examiner, online, June 25).
Mr Coveney stated that US military flights “are routinely required to meet strict conditions, including that the aircraft is unarmed, carries no arms, ammunition or explosives”, etc.
It is US military practice that US soldiers travelling to war zones carry their personal weapons and many of these military flights have been transporting soldiers. Therefore, it is inconceivable that weapons have not been transported through Shannon on US military aircraft.
Mr Coveney stated: “In order for a civilian aircraft carrying US military personnel who are carrying arms on their person to travel through Shannon Airport, there needs to be an exemption for that. This is different from using Shannon Airport as a stopover to carry munitions or arms to a theatre of war.”
More than 3m US soldiers have travelled through Shannon airport since 2001. Therefore, More than three million US weapons were transported through Shannon airport.
If it is not acceptable for US military planes to carry weapons through Shannon, why is it acceptable for civilian planes on contract to US military to do so?
Civilian aircraft have also been transporting US war materials through Shannon airport. One example confirmed by documents released by the department show that between June and September 2018, 57 new BearCat armoured vehicles were transported from the USA through Shannon airport to Erbil in Iraq.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed due to US-led wars in the Middle East. Ireland’s role in these wars must be ended.
Edward Horgan
Castletroy
Limerick
Objections block greenway progress
The longer court proceedings play out the more it is becoming apparent that Kerry County Council’s proposed cycleway over a portion of disused branch railway line — the South Kerry Greenway project — is doomed.
As proposed the project will or would have included tunnels, viaducts, and stunning scenery overlooking Dingle Bay. Environmentalists and local farmers are opposing the project strenuously and apparently will not be faced with legal costs whatever the outcome. If the council loses, quite a possibility, it will pay big time for its
enterprise and farsightedness.
The recent TV series presented by Enda Kenny, Iarnród Enda, showed six similar excellent undertakings, but the Kerry project, if it comes to fruition, will surpass them all.
Donal Donovan
Model Farm Rd
Cork
Placing under-65s in nursing homes
The Ombudsman Peter Tyndall has told the Oireachtas that the Government must prevent the further admission to nursing homes of young people with disabilities and those under 65 — ‘Stop admitting under-65s to nursing homes, says Ombudsman’ (Irish Examiner, June 25). The Fair Deal nursing home support scheme, introduced in 2009 is an innovative and largely well received system of funding care. People pay 80% of their income and 7.5% of their assets above €36,000 and no one is left out of pocket. However the success of the Fair Deal scheme has encouraged health services that deal with people with disabilities and vulnerable adults to prioritise its use for those so-called ‘bed blockers’ in our hospital system. Unless there are real alternatives for younger people with disabilities, this practice is unlikely to change.
Frank Browne
Templeogue
Dublin 16.
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