1 May 2018
Sinn Féin say HSE director ‘must go’
“Two hundred and eight women went for a vital screening for a life-threatening illness and they were wrongly given the all clear. It is life and death.” – Mary Lou McDonald TD
Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald has said that in light of the CervicalCheck scandal, HSE director Tony O’Brien’s position is “untenable”, and that he must resign from his post or else “must be sacked”.
Alarming news broke over the weekend which found that 162 women out of 206 have not been contacted after having their smear tests misdiagnosed. It also emerged that of the 162 who have not been contacted, that 17 of whom have already died.
Challenging the Taoiseach on the issue today, Mary Lou McDonald said that “people are today trying to make sense of how profoundly the State has failed the women affected by the Cervical Cancer scandal.
“Two hundred and eight women went for a vital screening for a life-threatening illness and they were wrongly given the all clear. It is life and it is death”.
The Dublin Central TD then went on to highlight the trojan work by whistle-blower Vicky Phelan, whose own smear test was misdiagnosed, leaving her cancer too late to be treated. Ms. Phelan has settled a case in the high court with the State over its medical neglect for €2.5m, saying that she will use the money to prolong her life with treatment, giving her more time to spend with her children.
The State’s leading screening body for cervical cancer is now facing an independent inquiry by HIQA over its handling of the issue, with HSE director Tony O’Brien claiming he only became aware of the scandal when news broke in the media.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin Health spokesperson Louise O’Reilly has said Tony O’Brien’s reaction to the CervicalCheck scandal “stretches credibility”.