Prevention Is Better Than Cure

at

ronanm

Senator Ronan Mullen has called on the Health Minister to appear before the Seanad next week.

He has “serious concerns about deficiencies in HSE guidance and protocols” and wants HSE staff to be able to wear personal protective equipment and be fully trained in the treatment of Ebola.

He also said “it is the Government’s responsibility to assure the public that all necessary steps are being taken“. He highlighted the contrast in measures at British airports and at Irish ones.

Sure it’s only a bunch of cells.

Previously: Everyone Stay Cool

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26 thoughts on “Prevention Is Better Than Cure

  1. Sidewinder

    “Ronan Says Populist Things to Cover the Fact that he’s a Giant Lizard in a Man Suit he Accidentally Left by the Radiator” Vol. II

    1. realPolithicks

      Whats the problem, if anyone in Ireland gets Ebola, just ship them over to Britain like they do with that other annoying medical issue.

  2. Odis

    Wow, and I thought Roe was only interested in using his political appointment, to further his weird and nasty religious views. How wrong I’ve been about this guy!

  3. Cranky

    Why is this man being given more exposure, surely he is the perfect example of why we ignore the Seanad?

  4. bisted

    …so Ronan is advocating the wearing of personal protection to prevent the spread of disease…he might find that Leo is a bit ahead of him there.

    1. missred

      Ronan has only just discovered this concept – the Vatican opposes it in other forms, so he has only caught up now with this new fangled novelty of *gasp* barrier protection

  5. kurtz

    Temperature screening at airports is a complete waste of time and resources, especially in a country with no direct flights to the worst effected countries.

    A high temperature does not mean you have Ebola. It means you might have Ebola. But most likely you have something far less serious. Like the menopause for example.

  6. Wayne.F

    No direct flights between Ireland and west Africa, only UK airports that have direct flights have screening

  7. Steve

    I thought he was going to say they had to wear it when treating homosexuals to avoid catching the gay.

  8. Mick

    7 billion people on the planet, 8000 people, mainly in Africa, have been infected. It´s not an epidemic or outbreak or whatever scaremongering word you want to use, so minimal amounts of money should be spent by the Irish government on this. Remember SARS and Bird Flu(or by it´s scarier name, HVN1 VIRUS). How is this any different?
    Didn´t people run out and buy gas masks stupidly after it was found that “Iraq had WMDs”(that today turned out to be just WDs that never got reported on because they were missing the M).
    How many people die of heart disease and obesity every year? A lot fcuking more, but do we care? No, because that´s not the agenda for you to follow at the moment.

    1. Sidewinder

      I an so sick of hearing this point made about every issue that comes up in Ireland.

      It’s like a stock response.

      Person 1: “Down with A!”
      Person 2: “OMG B is so much worse than A, what’s wrong with you?!?”

      It is possible, in fact necessary, to care about more than one issue at a time. You observing that someone is acting on A does not mean they are not acting on B. Nor does the fact that you care about B mean they have to as well. And most crucially – A & B are different things and comparing them as if they are not is so pointless that it’s damn near regressive.

      1. munkifisht

        I think the comment is more about the hysteria surrounding ebola, a disease with a very low chance of infection, particularly in countries equipped with reasonable facilities. Reddit’s going mad about people in Texas getting infected with the disease but not caring to mention those who die of smoking related diseases every day (60/day in Texas alone).

        There nothing wrong with being concerned with issues, but Ebola (for those not infected) is not yet an issue. It might well be and should be taken care of with a massive influx of supplies, educators, cleaning supplies and facilities to care for those ill and correctly dispose of those dead, but it is not an issue. Smoking is an issue, heart disease is an issue, obesity is an issue, but we choose to ignore these and get fanatically obsessed with something that really is not a risk.

        1. Sidewinder

          I know what the point is. I think it’s true but irrelevant in a conversation about ebola.

          Also Ireland is not ignoring obesity, smoking or alchoholism. Not by a long shot. If an individual who has health problems because of all the above is panicking about ebola but doing nothing about the former then I would say the point could be well made to them but it’s been misplaced everywhere I’ve seen it so far.

          1. Mick

            It’s very relevant in a conversation about a potential Ebola crisis in Ireland which will never happen, and how well equipped we are to deal with it which, because if something was implemented it would be the tax payers paying for it not the Ebola Fairy.
            For example, lets say that we invest money in what Ronan is suggesting and nothing comes of it, which is the obvious outcome in this case. Meanwhile our suicide rate (for instance) is still one of the highest in Europe, and the services for suicide prevention in Ireland desperately need as much funding as they can get, to assist people in the long run who won’t be dying in the streets of Ebola in a few months.
            Is solving one problem at a time, by investing in something like suicide prevention or mental health that will help the people of Ireland in the long run, not the right thing to do? Or is a non health threat to the country more important?
            Ebola has not killed one person in Ireland. Depression kills people in Ireland everyday and is a very real threat.
            Do you not think that if an Ebola epidemic really was as dangerous as it’s being made out to be, that countries all over the world would be panicking big time?

          2. Don Pidgeoni

            Countries are panicking. It will certainly turn up in the UK before too long. Just because it isn’t as likely as other illnesses in Ireland, you still need to be prepared just in case. Otherwise, what are you going to do? Send them to the UK? Seal them up until they die? Say, oops, didn’t think we would get any?

            He has a point, countries need to be prepared. Just because it’s Ronan, sadly in this case, doesnt mean he is wrong.

          3. Sidewinder

            How we deal with obesity is as related to how we might deal with ebola as how we deal with traffic is. They are completely different things. The only thing they have in common is that they kill you. The services and staff that would deal with each of them are miles apart.

      2. Mick

        Is this really something that’s going to affect us in the long run that we need to consider spending money on? That was mainly the point I was trying to make.
        Why should we consider spending money on something that is most very likely, not going to affect us in any way, shape or form?
        Hopefully it is realized that Ronan is talking nonsense and jumping on an easy bandwagon to make himself appear to be more concerned than he maybe is.

  9. Don Pidgeoni

    FFS. Screening is a waste of time but I agree with him about the training! What does this mean?!!!!

    God, I feel dirty.

    1. Lorcan Nagle

      From what I understand, Ebola specific hazmat gear and quarantine units are already being installed in hospitals here and training is underway.

      So the rational concerns are already in hand and you don’t need to worry too much at looking at a stopped clock at just the right time.

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