Ireland Nationalizes Private Hospitals For Duration Of Coronavirus, 'For Common Benefit Of All'

[appalachiablue]

'For Common Benefit of All,' Ireland Nationalizes Hospitals for Duration of Coronavirus Crisis, Sparking Demand for US to Follow Suit. "How wonderful is this. A beautiful silver lining." Common Dreams, March 26, 2020.

The news that Ireland is nationalizing its healthcare system for the duration of the coronavirus crisis inspired observers including Rep. Ilhan Omar to call for the same approach in the U.S. as the world's largest economy faces the disease.

"For the duration of this crisis the State will take control of all private hospital facilities and manage all of the resources for the common benefit of all of our people," Ireland's Health Minister Simon Harris announced Tuesday. "There can be no room for public versus private when it comes to pandemic."

(Announcement, https://www.thejournal.ie/private-hospitals-ireland-coronavirus-5056334-Mar2020/



-- Minister for Health Simon Harris at a news conference at Government Buildings in Dublin on March 24 where he announced Ireland will nationalize its healthcare system for the duration of the coronavirus outbreak.

Health Minister Simon Harris says 'there can be no room for public versus private' healthcare during a pandemic, private hospitals to be used in Covid-19 response | Follow live updates: https://t.co/QffPYQeRRY pic.twitter.com/MW0SMtVe7S
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) March 24, 2020
The move follows a decision by Spain on March 16 to do the same to that country's system and represents a "massive change" in Ireland's social safety net, tweeted Irish author Caelainn Hogan.

"There should be no going back from this," said Hogan.

"What we were told would never happen and could never happen.."

For the first time, Ireland will have a single tier health service.

Private hospitals to go public for #COVID19.

2,000 more beds.
9 more labs.
Critical care facilities

Ireland's decision to nationalize the nation's healthcare system was made for the country's "national unity of purpose," Harris said.

"We must of course have equality of treatment, patients with this virus will be treated for free, and they’ll be treated as part of a single, national hospital service," said Harris...

More, https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/03/26/ireland-nationalizes-hospitals-duration-coronavirus

[SunSeeker]

1. That way they don't bid against each other for supplies, like what's happening in the US. nt