On Saturday 26 January 25,000 people march through Lewisham, south east London, in a show of strength against plans to close Lewisham Hospital. No provision has been made for the 30,000 emergency admissions and complex cases every year that would need to go out of area if this hospital is lost. Queen Elizabeth Hospital Woolwich (QEH), already struggling, would become responsible for providing A&E services to 750,000 people from Lewisham. QEH and Princess Royal Hospital Orpington are being bankrupted by unaffordable Private Finance Initiative schemes – £250 million that will be £2.5 billion when repaid. Matthew Kershaw, who has been appointed as a special administrator, has decided to axe Lewisham Hospital, a thriving busy hospital in a neighbouring borough. This is no solution.
RCG had a contingent on the march with our sound system and open mic allowing for music, chanting and speeches. We flew the flags of Cuba and Venezuela, giving our solidarity with the revolutionary movements in Latin America, building socialism. Cuba shows what is possible when a society’s priority is not profit but the needs of the people and when those needs are met through a democratically planned economy. Cuba has over 28,000 health workers in over 75 countries and is training tens of thousands of medical students to go back and work in their countries. Venezuela, with the support of Cuba, now has tens of thousands of doctors in the Barrio Adentro programme providing primary care where previously there was none. Free health care for all Venezuelans is central to the progress of the Bolivarian Revolution.
Drop the PFI debt
End all hospital cuts in Britain
Viva Cuba! Viva Venezuela!
