In a question to the First Minister in Assembly on Monday, November 17th, SDLP Justin McNulty MLA challenged the First Minister’s commitment to all-island healthcare.
McNulty recently submitted an Assembly Question to the Executive about if CAR-T, a vital immunotherapy that can kill cancer cells, was discussed in the most recent North South Ministerial Council Meeting. The Executive Office’s vague response stated, “Ministers provided updates on a wide range of collaboration including on Health issues,” which did not confirm or deny the specific mention of CAR-T in the meeting.
McNulty pressed for more details in Assembly, asking the First Minister if all-island CAR-T was specifically discussed. He further asked, “If all-island healthcare is so important, why is there no reference to it in your statement?”
Her response stated that she had “no doubt” that CAR-T was discussed in the health sectoral meeting, but provided no hard evidence to the fact.
McNulty expresses disappointment in the Minister’s response, sharing the following:
“All-island access to CAR-T therapy is a life-saving, necessary measure to combat cancer across this Island and prevent patients and their families from having to travel to access treatment.
The North South Ministerial Council is the ideal forum to advance these policies to improve healthcare access in the North and South alike, and I call on the Executive to make healthcare policies a priority in these meetings, and not exclude it from their statements.”
ENDS
CLANRYE NEWS 