Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan on News at One RTE

Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan on News at One RTE with Sean O’Rourke on Monday 4th January

Every decent citizen must salute Mr Lenihan’s transparent courage in facing his ordeal. The public Lenihans – Grandfather Paddy Lenihan, his father Brian senior, brother Conor and aunt Mary O’Rourke (mammy) all had and have courage and decency in abundance.

Mr Lenihan said that he had abdominal pain for some time recently and then became jaundiced. He said that a stent was inserted to relieve this and he will be given a course of chemotherapy and radiation. He alluded to getting treatment not provided on the NHS – This may be biologic treatment (erlotinib) which is expensive in terms of quality and number of life years gained and is rationed by National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) in England.

Mr Lenihan did not state the exact diagnosis so speculation on his likely future is not sensible.

A number of public discussants on this issue have implied or stated that public patients would be disadvantaged in the same situation as the minister. I refute that because.

NO DOCTOR WOULD FAIL TO URGENTLY INVESTIGATE ABDOMINAL PAIN AND JAUNDICE IN A 50 YEAR OLD.

NO RADIOLOGY DEPARTMENT WOULD LONG FINGER AN ULTRASOUND ON SUCH A PATIENT.

UNLESS THE BIOCHEMISTRY SHOWED ACUTE HEPATITIS – EVERY PATIENT WOULD BE URGENTLY CT SCANNED and SCOPED

ANY FINAL YEAR MEDICAL STUDENT SHOULD BE ABLE TO RATTLE OFF THE DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS

I wish to restate that the TV3 News performance was highly distasteful to me and Mr Lenihan says that neither he nor his medical advisors leaked the information. He called it confidential doctor-patient information. He was entitled to privacy until 4th January from news organs.