Madam, - When one considers the apparent delay by the Minister for Health in striving to allay the fears of the electorate concerning SARS, perhaps the speed with which his colleague Joe Jacob acted some time ago to ensure we all received those infamous iodine tablets, should not now be sneezed at.
I await the receipt of some aspirin on this occasion. - Yours, etc.,
NORMAN LOWTHER, Maywood Avenue, Raheny, Dublin 5.
Madam, - Whether or not the Special Olympics happen in Ireland, the most important aspect of this crisis seems to have been overlooked. If the country was at risk of an invasion, would the Army go on strike? Would this not be high treason?
It's time we all woke up to reality; doctors striking at a time like this is treachery, and should be punished accordingly. But if you'll pardon the pun, don't hold your breath. - Yours etc.,
JOE O'BRIEN, Coolamber Park, Dublin 16.
Madam, - In his strong attack on government incompetence over the handling of the SARS crisis (The Irish Times, April 25th), Jasper Becker makes the following points:
1. Government leaders have been caught lying about the scandalous, half-baked reform of the health system.
2. A two-tier health service is paid for by the poor but favours the rich.
3. Government control of the media prevents them from reporting freely and fully on matters of public concern.
Mr Becker was writing about the Chinese Government but Irish citizens will not be unfamiliar with this type of system. - Yours, etc.,
ANTHONY SHERIDAN, Carraig Eoin, Cobh, Co Cork.
Madam, - In response to John Magee's letter (April 26th) calling for "a little perspective" on the SARS epidemic compared with influenza-related deaths, I would like to make the following point.
If death due to influenza was given the same growth rate as death due to SARS, we would witness over 100-million influenza related deaths in the next year. By 2006 the entire human population would be non-existent. Given "a little perspective", it's easy to see how correct travel precautions are. - Yours, etc.,
ROBBIE ROULSTON, Ardmeen Park, Blackrock, Co Dublin.
Madam, - The Minister for Health accuses public health doctors of a total abandonment of responsibility.
Public health doctors have a contract with no formal arrangements for out-of-hours cover. In other words, the Department of Health and/or the Health Services Employers Agency have no arrangements for providing out-of-hours services by public health doctors.
Who is irresponsible? Yours, etc.,
NICK BREEN, Sea Road, Newcastle, Co Wicklow.
Madam, - Foot-and-mouth disease. BSE. CJD. Biological attacks. Iodine tablets. Sellafield. Anti-alcohol hysteria. SARS. It seems the only plague truly stalking our land is fear itself. - Yours, etc.,
DAMIAN BYRNE, Belvedere Place, Dublin 1.