Deaths in care homes treated as irrelevant

Why oh why are people in ‘homes’ no longer classed as relevant?

TIME and again I turn on the television or the radio at 10pm, and I am told the death rate from those in hospital.

This is far from depress- ing, this is crushing, hor- rific. But then time and again I am reminded that those figures do not include those that die in the community or care homes.

This is yet another demonstration that those in care homes or those vulnerable people who pass away at home are irrelevant.

My nan was looked after by a wonderful home in Barry in her last years; she passed away last year the amazing age of 101. She was far from irrelevant, a woman I loved very much.

Why oh why are people in “homes” no longer classed as relevant? Look, for example, at the lack of PPE for care home workers, and various dependency units. Karl-James Langford Barry

Karl-James Langford Barry

Sticking up for honest MP Corbyn

DAVE PRICHARD (“Protocol ignored by departing Corbyn”, Echo letters, April 9) hits rock bottom for total lack of understanding and knowledge of Jeremy Corbyn, an honest and respected MP. The comments regarding his behaviour and character are puerile and immature.

Mr Prichard mentions Stalin, Tories and number 10. Both extremes of the political spectrum. Does your belief lie to the right? Perhaps social democracy is for you? Social democracy presents itself as an alternative to socialism, perhaps a compromise between socialism and capitalism. It also views socialism as ideal, utopian, by definition essentially unobtainable. Whereas capitalism is seen as reformable, capable of being made to work in the interests of “the many”. Well the history of the people’s hunger marches, the productive processes being sold off, creep of privatisation of the NHS; the attacks on Jeremy Corbyn in the media which you seem obliged to continue; the saving of banks at any costs, making the sick and old, disabled and vulnerable pay the price – all these deny that capitalism is the better system. In conclusion Mr Prichard mentions swimming at Barry Island (“you just go through the motions”) and informs us “it relates to actual sewage”. Might I suggest this is life threatening, as is capitalism, to which many in our communities will agree.

Oh why was Jeremy Corbyn given air time to expand his views? Dave, we live in a democracy.

Alan Short, Chair of Unite Community Cardiff & Area, Victoria Park, Cardiff

Crisis better now than in three years

LUCKY this crisis has happened now and not three years down the line when there wouldn’t be half the staff available to the NHS thanks to Brexit and the health wservice being sold off. Remember that when voting Tory.

Andrew Nutt

Bargoed

China likely to be a dominant force

IN 10,000 years we’ve gone from hunter gatherers to an agricultural based society, an industrial based society, a knowledge based society and in the past 20 years to a technology based one.

In so doing we have lost most of the basic survival skills that we once possessed and now rely on communication satellites, smart-phones, computers and the internet to run and organise our lives. This I’m afraid is the world’s Achilles’ heel.

Frighteningly, it would only take a massive power failure to plunge nations into chaos as the lights go out, our computers shut down, the internet is disabled and data is lost. This apocalyptic scenario is a real possibility, especially the longer the lockdown lasts.

Past pandemics have been linked to the fall of empires, millions of deaths and the breakdown of law and order. Ultimately, the coronavirus pandemic is likely to change the current global, political and economic pecking order as the world is plunged into a global recession by a mountain of global debt, business failures and mass unemployment.

Out of the ashes of the Covid-19 disaster a new world order will emerge. Expect it to be dominated by China and its allies as the West loses its moral authority, dominance of the global financial market and unity of purpose.

It’s ironic that having gained back control of our borders and laws from the EU along comes a virus that reminds us that Mother Nature kills saints and sinners and does not recognise man-made borders or laws. Bryan D Prescott Caerphilly

Emergency appeal for cancer charity

ISOLATED and highly vulnerable to infection, children with cancer desperately need your help.

Every day we spend in insolation during the coronavirus outbreak, young cancer patients and their families are in crisis struggling with the huge emotional and financial impacts of cancer and coronavirus.

Without support during this pandemic, the strain of a child’s cancer diagnosis will push local families to breaking point.

As the UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people with cancer, CLIC Sargent has launched an emergency appeal, as we continue to fight tirelessly for young people with cancer. But we can’t do that without the vital support of the local community.

CLIC Sargent, which relies entirely on voluntary donations, is facing a staggering 60% drop in income, but the vulnerability of the young people we support is increasing.

We urgently need readers to please donate today to help us continue to be there for families. We have never been so busy. Families are so worried how they will cope financially and parents are anxious about their children being so vulnerable to coronavirus.

It’s completely heart-breaking; they need us now more than ever.

During the pandemic, we’re having to find new ways to provide urgent support to families in isolation who desperately need us, at a time when we have had to cancel local fundraising events, too.

In these uncertain times, feeding yourself and your child with cancer should not be one of those uncertainties.

Since the start of the pandemic in the UK, CLIC Sargent has given more than £45,000 in emergency

grants to young cancer patients and their families to help them pay for essentials such as food and bills.

To support CLIC Sargent and donate today, text GIVE to 70030 to donate £5* or visit clicsargent.org. uk/donate.

*Texts cost £5 plus one standard network rate message. CLIC Sargent will receive 100% of your £5 donation.

To unsubscribe from texts, text NOSMS CLIC to 78866. To unsubscribe from calls, text NOCALL CLIC to 78866 (these texts will be charged at your network’s standard message charge).

Sophie Meadows CLIC Sargent

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