Health is… The World Health Organization (WHO) maintains that health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. This reminds me of the film Jerry Maguire and the infamous line “You complete me” that left so many of us reaching for our tissues back then. However, after enduring many life lessons I have learned since that you cannot rely on someone else to do that for you as you must become complete by yourself. But how can one be healthy and be whole if we don’t have equal access to healthcare?
My health is… like saying goes my wealth! I deeply value my physical and mental health as I have learned in the past it is integral in my journey to reaching my full potential as a human being.
My healthcare is… good, I think, as I have been paying towards health insurance since I arrived but never used it. However, the quality of health care in Ireland is inconsistent, costly and is a painful reminder of the inequalities which exist in our society today.
My health fear is… I am self-employed so if I don’t work I simply don’t get paid and as I cannot access any social welfare support sadly being sick is just not an option for me for the moment.
My healthcare fear is… I don’t have immediate family in Ireland as they are all scattered around the world. I have a loving partner so I am lucky but I often worry about the thousands of migrants residing in Ireland especially those who don’t have anyone to care for them and have limited resources. On Christmas Eve, I visited a young woman in a psychiatric unit in Dublin. She came to Ireland as a domestic worker but as she was treated horrendously by her employer her mental health is now in a very fragile state. She has no family in Ireland. I worry that the healthcare services available to her are not person centred and won’t take her culture into account.
Ireland’s health is... under threat at present. The current recession is impacting negatively on the residents both on a physical and mental health level. Many people are less likely to go for medical checkups as they don’t have the money and this can often lead to serious illness. In addition, the number of people that are experiencing mental health difficulties such as depression, anxiety and stress are increasing as due to stigma many don’t seek help in time.
Ireland’s healthcare is... unequal and reminds me of healthcare systems in developing countries which are strictly linked to a person’s wealth. I find this to be deeply unjust as decent healthcare is a basic human right that every resident of Ireland should enjoy irrespective of who they are, who they know or how much they earn.
My healthcare dream for Ireland... full equality! A person’s physical and mental health is integral in their journey to reach their full potential. If we had a healthcare system that cared for all residents’ equally well, as a nation we would be able to reach our full potential.
I, Dil Wickremasinghe, have signed the Healthcare Guaranteed petition and have asked the government to provide a legal guarantee of equal access to healthcare in Ireland. You should too.
You can sign the Healthcare Guaranteed petition online, now.
You can sign the Healthcare Guaranteed petition online, now.
