March 30, 2003
Heavenly Creatures
Ireland is a land of legend and myth. Some of our mythical creatures are more high maintenance than others.
GPs are under no obligation to inform a health board if one of their medical card holders has died, it emerged yesterday.
New figures reveal doctors were paid €6m for treating nearly 40,000 "ghost patients".
It's a fair cop, admitted the doctors. Oops, a typo there.
Dr Martin Daly of the Irish Medical Organisation last night said doctors are being scapegoated. He insisted a full review is likely to show that GPs are owed money for other card holders due to deficiencies in the system.
Ah yes, the scapegoat - Ireland's answer to the unicorn. A mythical creature that everyone has heard about but no one can find. Not in Ireland anyway.
Dealing with more corporeal bodies is not so profitable.
A cattle dealer who put false identity tags on cattle in order to claim subsidies was jailed for two years yesterday.
Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court heard details of how Joe Earley, with an address in Drogheda but originally from County Meath, had specially adapted vice-grips to remove cattle tags and place them on other animals.
I doubt if any doctors will go to jail for claiming for non-existent patients. Earley should have stuck to tagging scapegoats.