THE health services have been "bedevilled with short-sightedness" over the past two decades, the president of the Irish Medical Organisation, Dr Neil Brennan, said yesterday.
Dr Brennan claimed that so far in the election campaign, there was no sign of the Minister for Health or the Fianna Fail spokesman on health properly tackling the issues. "For those unfortunate enough to find themselves on hospital waiting lists or in other Cinderella areas of the health services and for those working in and devoted to the health services, it must be sad to see the level of debate," he said.
He said there was a failure to address long-term strategic management and planning.
"There has been no mention of the recent strategic management initiative which will have a greater influence on the quality of health service delivery, than x million pounds spent on waiting list initiatives."
Dr Brennan said it was much easier to "trot out" numbers than to explain that the only real solution to a particular waiting list problem was a properly formulated management service plan, adequately financed and continually reviewed.
"That politicians cannot even hint at this type of long-term thinking underscores the short-sightedness that has bedevilled health service planning over the past 20 years."
Questions remain, he said, to what improvements are planned for the future improvement of the services for patients.
"All areas require improvement, from mental handicap to geriatric care services and general practice, not just hospitals, which are also important."
The brain-drain of our brightest talent to Britain and beyond, because of the lack of career opportunities at home, also needs to be addressed, Dr Brennan said.