Sir, - I was a patient in Tallaght Hospital, from December 1998 to June 1999, and had two very serious operations, an amputation of right leg below knee and an ileostomy. These were traumatic to say the least. The dedication and professionalism of all the staff went way beyond the call of duty. From the nurses on the coal-face to the junior doctors, surgeons, professors, cleaners and ward attendants, there was nothing but hard work together with unbounding friendliness and kindness under terrible strain and stress and conditions.
It was exactly the same in the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire, in June and July, 1999.
All health staff are overworked and underpaid due to the policies of the Department of Health and the Minister, Mr Brian Cowan, who is an expert on misleading the public.
The nurses are underpaid and are leaving the profession at an alarming rate, none of which is being publicised in the press. Nor is much made of the fact that the nurses were working free during the strike to save the lives of patients like myself. - Yours, etc.,
Patrick Higgins, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14.