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Opinion: February 2008

The Republic of Irelandistan - all the way

29 February 2008 | Editorial

Terence Cosgrave says that we have become complacent about respiratory disease in this country since the introduction of the smoking ban - which never was the final solution to the health problems caused by tobacco in any case. While we... Read more

Huge need for timely career guidance

26 February 2008 | Mick Molloy

Dr Mick Molloy says that as recruitment for training-scheme positions get under way, there is a cause for concern across the health service This is normally the time of year when applications for training-scheme positions are advertised and interviews take... Read more

Castletownbere sticks cause controversy

26 February 2008 | Letters

Dear Editor, I am intrigued by your front-page article (22 Feb) on INR testing in general practice using a Coaguchek meter. Your correspondent quotes a rural GP in Castletownbere as stating that her 532 annual INR tests cost her a... Read more

Scheme coverage no consolation

26 February 2008 | Letters

Dear Editor, I write in relation to Greg Baxter’s article in Irish Medical Times of 14 December 2007 on ‘Nurse prescribing has radical implications’. The writer tried to reassure with the statement that consultant trainers who face liability for mistakes... Read more

GPs wanted, GPs available

26 February 2008 | Letters

Dear Editor, In the 15 February issue of Irish Medical Times, in the classified advertisements section, I see that there are 26 advertisements seeking GPs and three advertisements from GPs seeking employment. If this is a reflection of GP supply... Read more

Bitter price-pill for chemists to swallow

Kealan Flynn | 26 February 2008 | Kealan Flynn

Kealan Flynn reports on the Irish Pharmaceutical Union's continued resistance to the new wholesale prices regime for medicines, which is due to be implemented on 1 March As the 1 March deadline approaches for a new wholesale prices regime for... Read more

The freedom of writing for small audiences

26 February 2008 | The Inside Back

John McCain, the Republican party’s candidate for US President, has stated several times that terrorism (he also uses extremism or religious extremism) is the transcendent challenge of the 21st century. A very bad problem becomes a “transcendent challenge”, presumably, when... Read more

Galen: hero or villain of medicine?

22 February 2008 | Guests

Dr Robert Sullivan looks at the fascinating figure of Claudius Galen, one of the founding fathers of medicine, whose legacy divides medical opinion today as much as his practices did in Roman times Medicine, like all professions, has its heroes... Read more

Power, politics and pharmaceuticals

21 February 2008 |

Dr Patrick Rowan looks at a new book which examines the business of prescription drugs This series of essays is primarily concerned with the pharmaceutical industry in Ireland, but it also has reference to the industry in Canada, Australia and... Read more

An effective solution to river blindness

Thecla Scully | 20 February 2008 | Guests

Thecla Scully reports on a WHO project in the Democratic Republic of Congo that sees local farmers trained to carry out simple medical tasks Dense rainforest covers a large portion of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Only a naïve explorer... Read more

Prenatal screening and abortion facts

19 February 2008 | Letters

Dear Editor, I was dismayed to read yet another example of the deceit practised within the medical profession around the issue of prenatal screening and abortion (‘A case of optimism in obstetrics.’ 25.01.08). I have no problem that a woman... Read more

Wakefield replies to post on IMT website

19 February 2008 | Letters

Dear Editor, With regard to your article, ‘More evidence dismisses link betwen MMR and autism’ in the Irish Medical Times, (www.imt.ie/blogs/irish-Medical-Times- Blog/2008/02/more-evidence-dismisses-link-b.html), I am sending you the official response from Dr Andrew Wakefield and colleagues below. — Richard Miles. Response... Read more

Land sales bonanza

19 February 2008 | Editorial

The money raised from the sale of psychiatric hospital land must go to the development of community-based mental services There are now real questions about whether or not the money raised from the sale of lands owned by psychiatric hospitals... Read more

It's hard for others when the prodigal gets rewarded

Mick Molloy | 19 February 2008 | Mick Molloy

Dr Mick Molloy on how harder economic times are starting to hit home and, in the process, changing the way in which some of us view our considerable immigrant population A medical colleague wrote in Irish Medical Times recently about... Read more

Drugs — and the truth behind the headlines

Dr Mark Hannon | 19 February 2008 | Mark Hannon

Dr Mark Hannon says that media criticism of the pharmaceutical industry fails to point out how medications have improved our life expectancy — and also leads to poorer compliance rates. One of the many areas in which the HSE is... Read more

Football: Smells like team spirit

Joyce Galbraith | 15 February 2008 | Guests

After attending a football match, Joyce Galbraith gains an understanding of why football evokes such passion and enthusiasm I have never really understood the enormous importance given to football in today’s world and how the game has assumed such huge... Read more

Time to help out colleagues in need

Dr Mick Molloy | 14 February 2008 | Mick Molloy

Dr Mick Molloy encourages 'those who do not need' to contribute to the relief of those who do at the annual Medical Benevolent Fund in March It’s the time of medical year when we need to consider the less fortunate... Read more

When a day’s work is never done

Dr Illona Duffy | 14 February 2008 | Ilona Duffy

With changing trends in antenatal care, Dr Illona Duffy warns of the business cost of accepting an extra screening workload It’s February and the chocolate stores are diminishing, leading to reduced serotonin levels, so I think it’s fair enough to... Read more

Where do the medical unions go from here?

Kealan Flynn | 13 February 2008 | Kealan Flynn

Kealan Flynn wonders if the off-side trap sprung during the contract talks means the raison d’être for the two Irish medical associations still exists? The IMO’s poorly-judged decision to walk away from the talks on a new consultant contract, and... Read more

Give leap year day back to the people

12 February 2008 | The Inside Back

If you’re anything like me, which is to say, if you have a job, a few extracurricular interests and a middling to active social life (I don’t like to boast), you’d do just about anything to have an eighth day... Read more

Editorial

Terence Cosgrave | 07 February 2008 |

The Irish Medical Times has now been in existence for over 40 years — providing weekly news and information for Irish doctors. In that time, enormous changes have taken place in Irish life and in the Irish medical environment. Of... Read more

ASH disapppointed by response of Dept to ban in cars

Dr Fenton Howell | 07 February 2008 | Letters

Dear Editor, It is disappointing to note the response by the Department of Health and Children to the call from ASH Ireland to ban smoking in cars carrying children up to 16 years of age. The Department believes, without any... Read more

Colour cards to halt rise in hyperthermia

Eamon Timmons | 07 February 2008 | Letters

Dear Editor, Age Action is urging members of the general public to be good neighbours by keeping an eye out for their older relatives, friends and neighbours during the current freezing weather. We would also ask members of the medical... Read more

GP manpower shortage

Dr Alan Moran | 07 February 2008 | Letters

Dear Editor, I heartily agree with the comments made by Dr Paul Mc Carthy et al in the February edition of Irish Medical Times. Alan Moran, GP, Drogheda... Read more

Juggling the numbers on ED waiting lists

07 February 2008 | Mick Molloy

Dr Mick Molloy ponders exactly when the clock starts ticking regarding 'waiting times' in emergency departments and whether community care could help solve the problem When is a waiting time really a waiting time? It sounds like an obvious question,... Read more

Rewards and challenges of GPs

Dr Ilona Duffy | 06 February 2008 | Ilona Duffy

Dr Illona Duffy says that while general practice can be very rewarding, GPs need to listen to their more difficult patients for clues to their real health concerns Just in case anybody thought I had decided to give up sharing... Read more

Failure to plan is the root cause of a poor health service

Dr Mark Hannon | 06 February 2008 | Mark Hannon

Dr Mark Hannon says that unless the HSE is allowed to operate free of political interference and can plan effectively, there won't be any major improvements in the health service The modern world is one of organisation and planning, facts... Read more

New president, accessible healthcare?

Kealan Flynn | 01 February 2008 | Kealan Flynn

With 71-year-old Arizona Senator John McCain and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney locked in a battle for the soul of the Republican party and little more than a hair’s breadth between the Democratic party’s front runners, all eyes are now... Read more

Ban TV ads before 9pm

Michael O’Shea, Chief Executive, Irish Heart Foundation, 4 Clyde Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 | 01 February 2008 | Letters

Dear Editor, Following the release of the National Teens’ Food Survey, which showed that more than half of Irish teenagers exceed the recommended salt and fat intake, the Irish Heart Foundation is calling for immediate action at government level to... Read more

North-east struggling to maintain service

Dr Paul McCarthy, Dundalk, Chairman, IMO North Eastern GP Branch. Dr Shane Corr, Carrickmacross, Secretary, IMO North Eastern GP Branch. Dr Illona Duffy, Monaghan, IMO National GP Committee Member. | 01 February 2008 | Letters

Dear Editor, We would like to draw your readers’ attention to two motions which the North Eastern GP branch (counties Monaghan, Cavan, Louth and Meath) of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has submitted for discussion at its AGM this Spring.... Read more

A contract at last?

01 February 2008 | Editorial

Terence Cosgrave says that there is still some selling to be done on the consultant contract It seems that after many years and many false dawns, a new consultant contract will be agreed soon. The announcement by Minister Mary Harney... Read more

HSE Chief must revise plans on bed capacity

Dr Mick Molloy | 01 February 2008 | Mick Molloy

We have enough beds. We really have enough beds. We have enough acute hospital beds in the Irish health service. We do not need more beds in the Irish health service. Beds are not the solution to our problems- a... Read more