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LEO VARADKAR HAS told an Oireachtas committee that the health service he is now “nominally” in charge of is a different system than when he “wore a white coat and stethoscope”.
Speaking at a Health and Children Committee meeting this morning, the Fine Gael Minister said that he wanted to reflect on the comparison on his 100th day in the job.
He noted that there will always be a focus on what is going wrong, but that he could identify a number of things that had improved.
“Since I wore a white coat and stethoscope,” he said, “there have been improvements in stroke and cardiac programmes.”
He said that people who would have died back when he was a doctor (“Not because I was the doctor,” he quipped) are now saved. Fewer people are also suffering long-term disabilities, according to the doctor-turned-politician.
Other positives he mentioned included strong inspections by the watchdog, HIQA, and the shorter time people spend in hospital.
As a junior doctor, hospital transfers were also different, the Minister added.
He described how he would have to take patients from Navan to Dublin in an ambulance, meaning the hospital would be a doctor down. He also conceded that he had little experience and was attending to the patient during the transfer by himself.
That was quite a dangerous thing, particularly on a Saturday or Sunday.
He claimed that because of dedicated transfer medical teams, this no longer happens.
Mentioning Ireland’s improvements in transplant procedures and congratulated the Mater, which is carrying out its 100th lung transplant today.
Separately, the chief executive of the hospital Professor Mary Day said the team is “led by a group of young, dedicated consultants who have amassed enormous experience internationally and whose return to Ireland and the Mater Hospital ensures our lung transplant programme compares favourably with any in the world”.
Ireland rose from 13th to 3rd in the lung transplantation list in Europe last year after carrying out procedures to help 32 people.
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I don’t know if I’m alone in this, but, A Star is Born, for all its hype, was a fairly bog standard, run of the mill, snooze fest.
The main song is a decent tune though.
@J.D. Finnerty: a remake of a remake, with a story as boring as it is predictable (even if you haven’t seen the others). Hard to believe it got such acclaim.
@J.D. Finnerty: Completely agree. Ga Ga was good but Bradley Cooper just annoys me. Main song was the only decent song in it.
@J.D. Finnerty: yeah, you’re on your own. Not met a single person yet who didn’t adore it. And that includes men who never cry. Who admitted crying.
@J.D. Finnerty: you should be alone in this. It was not bog standard at all
You Were Never Really Here had a screenplay???
The critics really hated Bohemian Rhapsody, while everyone that I know who watched adored it. I don’t get it. Malek has to win an Oscar. It’s the best acting performance I’ve seen in years.
@JJ O Riordan: huge fan of Freddie and the band but had to be honest the movie was a let down…. It’s like they tried sensoring everything
@JJ O Riordan: but Malek was brilliant to be honest. Will he win? I’d say Bradley Cooper will
@Nikas Peckeliunas: An outstanding performance, I saw a comparison someone did of Queen’s Live Aid set and that of Malek’s for the movie. Initially they started out somewhat sceptical but were truly astounded, Rami Malek had Freddie’s every move memorised, down to how he held the microphone, how he stood. Even the remaining band members blessed, themselves initially wary, gave this performance a glowing endorsement.
@Nikas Peckeliunas:
Spelling please, its censoring.
@Power Aine: it’s it’s.
Three billboards is head and shoulders above everything else…should have won the Oscar for best original screenplay…a fantastic read
@Damien Aulsberry: ya that was a brilliant movie imo.
@Damien Aulsberry: Cannot believe that 3 billboards doesn’t even the top 10 on this list. Much better movie than ladybird.
“First Man” is movie of the year for me by a long shot: absolutely one of the most moving and inspiring films I’ve ever seen. Deserves to clean up in awards for Cinematography, Sound & Editing, Adapted Screenplay, Direction and that wonderful score by Justin Hurwitz. Would give nods as well to Claire Foy as Janet Armstrong and Ryan Gosling for his suitably restrained and under-stated performance as Neil Armstrong.
@Sean May: I thought it was boring. An amazing achievement considering the subject matter
No point in watching them on Irish TV add free telly highly recommended ha
“upgrade” definitely the best Sci-fi movie of 2018 anyways.. If you haven’t checked it out, I’d highly recommended.. This is coming from a movie connoisseur :)
@Acedeuce: ” hereditary ” is also hands down the best horror movie of 2018.. Genuinely creepy, atmospheric, good acting.. No usual cheap jump scares. Solid proper horror film.
You were never really here and blackkklansman are 2 of the most rubbish films I’ve ever seen
@Kieran Stafford: yeah Blackkklansman was terrible. The handful of jokes were in the trailer.
Jingle all the way .. and .. Air Bud 3 ..both on T.v today
So she got away with it
Gosnell is worth a watch but it won’t be shown anywhere.
You Were Never Really Here had a screenplay??
have your say