People Before Profit are calling for an urgent North-South strategy to tackle the Covid 19 crisis. This call comes after the Southern and Northern administrations signed a Memorandum of Understanding formalising their approach to cooperation in the Covid-19 crisis. This memo, which is not legally binding, mainly deals with messaging, research and communication and falls far short of any serious 32-county strategy to tackle this crisis. It is notable in its inability to offer any clear policy direction North or South, which in the current context is risking lives.
The World Health Organisation declared Covid-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on the 30th of January. Later, on the 11th of March, this was upgraded to a pandemic. In that time not only has the cross-border cooperation been extremely sluggish, there have been clearly divergent approaches North and South of the border in Ireland. These divergences range from the blatantly contradictory approach to closing schools to the continued adoption of different testing regimes.
Only days after the memo was released cross border workers who live in the North and work in the South were asked to give back the €350 a week welfare payment for laid off workers. Underlining the continued partitionist approach the administrations have taken to this crisis. Meanwhile, the Northern administration continues to tail the Tory policy, the absurdity of which was laid bare by the news that the Tory government has directed PPE producers to prioritise England over the UK.
Covid-19, as the memo recognised, does not respect borders. The administrations should also recognise that people’s lives cross the border in many different ways. It makes no sense to have different policies on the Island.
It is shocking then, that four weeks into this pandemic such a limited scope of cooperation has been agreed. Socialists have long decried the irrational existence of partition, however in the current crisis partitionist politics and organisation is a determinant to public health.
We cannot afford to lose this war against Covid-19, we urgently need to equip our healthcare workers and protect our population.
A much wider and more radical approach to cooperation is necessary to fight the virus across the island. The cooperation must be based on a willingness to put public health ahead of profits on a 32-county basis.
The relevant facilities exist on the island to mass produce PPE, Ventilators, and testing kits. Dozens of factories can produce gowns, gloves and masks if ordered to repurpose their manufacturing and provide the necessary equipment at cost.
For mass testing of Covid-19, Randox Laboratories in Antrim, should be put under public control. Randox has received tens of millions in public money but has been allowed to go on a profiteering binge. Instead of being directed to mass produce testing kits as part of an integrated all-Ireland health strategy they’ve been able to charge exorbitant prices.
Medtronic, based in Galway, is a global manufacturer of life-saving ventilators. Medtronic should also be put under public control to produce thousands of ventilators for health services North and South.
Our healthcare systems, on either side of the border, were facing the same problems coming into the pandemic. Years of austerity and privatization have stripped the capacity of the health services to respond to this crisis. In fact last year saw healthcare workers strike on both sides of the border for pay, retention and improved conditions.
Immediately, the work of public health bodies across the island must be integrated to deal with the pandemic. Our healthcare workers must be given proper PPE and hazard pay. Furthermore, we have to urgently rebuild our public health services during the crisis and this demands free healthcare at the point of need on both sides of the border, an end of privatisation, rapid public investment and the creation of a 32 county national health service, organised on the basis of human need.
This crisis has gone well beyond simply joint talks and the meaningless memos of the Southern and Northern administrations. Urgent action is needed across the island to produce and distribute the vital resources to combat Covid-19. Business as usual and partitionist politics cannot be allowed to continue if we are to fully address the public health emergency.
