IMO: Government has no detailed bird flu plan

THE Irish Medical Organisation has claimed Ireland has no detailed plan to protect people from bird flu in the advent of any potential pandemic.

After a meeting of its public health doctors yesterday, the organisation said that the Government had failed to establish a 24-hour public health medicine service, despite repeated calls to do so.

It said the system in place for public health doctors, who work exclusively in the public service, deals only with office hours. The IMO said all national emergency planning documents were predicated on a 24-hour public health medicine service being available.