Madam, – The letter from Louis Roden, chairman of the new Crumlin Hospital Group, (26th June) makes sad and chilling reading.
It seems that the new National Children’s Hospital must go ahead on the Mater site as any delays will put lives at risk.
The focus now must rest on medical expertise only. That such skill and knowledge is essential goes without saying but this focus is fully on the ailment and not on the child as a person.
Reconditioned air, rooms made sound-proof against the noise of the busy city centre traffic, a total lack of any gentle outdoor environment: these are the conditions on offer on the Mater site for children who often have to spend long periods of time in treatment.
Even sick children – or should I say sick children especially – need access to fresh air and things that are green and growing.
We understand so much now about how a good environment can help mood and hence healing and yet the Mater site is best we can offer?
What does that say about us as a people? What does it say about our Government’s understanding of some of our most basic needs as people? And don’t parents travelling from all parts of the country have enough to stress and concern them without having to struggle with Dublin traffic and worries about parking!.
Even at this late stage can we find the resourcefulness, the talent and above all the willingness to move mountains with speed so that children can be offered our best at every level.
We have a highly skilled work-force made available by the recession – architects, builders, engineers, the list goes on….
We need people of vision, determination and compassion to shake bureaucracy into urgent and selfless action so that we can show ourselves even now as a people prepared to cherish our vulnerable children.
This is a cry from the heart for such people to step forward now – it is a cry from many hearts. This new hospital when built will have to serve the needs of our children’s children. Will it be in the grey centre of a city? Will it? – Yours, etc,