Cervical cancer scandal victim Lorraine Walsh has pledged to
continue her fight for the Irish people.
It comes after she clashed with the most senior Government health adviser in a series of newly-released documents last week.
The patient advocate said yesterday the fight to improve the healthcare system for everyone is more important than any one person or position – even if the work takes a toll on her personally.
Ms Walsh, who posted an open letter addressed to the people of Ireland on Twitter, says she lives and breathes her role “morning, noon and night”.
Her tireless work as patient advocate on the CervicalCheck Steering Committee, alongside Stephen Teap, is so “challenging and emotionally charged” that she is consumed by it.
She wrote that as part of this work, she has had to share intimate personal details with committee members and the public but she has done so in the hope that sharing her experience will help improve the country’s healthcare system.
Ms Walsh, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer after receiving inaccurate test results, said part of her role is to challenge the system that has failed so many.
She added: “Cancer taught me to dig deep, when you stare down the barrel of cancer you discover new strengths and resilience which shifts the focus of your life for ever.”
Ms Walsh promised to keep on fighting for a better healthcare system – despite coming under fire from the country’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan.
She said: “I’m not going to let anyone, no matter what office they hold distract me from my work, this work is for the women of Ireland and that is more important than any one person or their position. This role is too vital to allow vested interests to derail me.”
Last week a series of documents revealed a clash between Ms Walsh and Dr Holohan.
He accused her of making a “defamatory and untrue” statement after she criticised him over the controversy.
