"Let me make it absolutely clear", sniffed the Master, mascara running like oil slicks from behind her over sized shades. "That money was not a top up of any sort, I earned every penny, fair and square. I was seeing private patients and, well, sure you know yerself, they were professional fees."
Well, that's okay. No problemo, Masta. All good. It's always a relief when the health and welfare of babies and mothers is under the watchful eye of someone whose work practices are more akin to Lionel Hutz doing shoe repairs in his legal practice than solemnly acting to manage two thousand people in a manner akin to James Robertson Justice in the 'Doctor at...' films of the 1950's.
Double jobbing was not of the invention of anyone in the HSE today nor indeed the upper echelons of the wider civil service. They found the Enormous Trough of the Mighty when they got to Hawkins Street, sure it wouldn't have been even thought of to not stick the snout in. But they are in good company. Other famous double jobbers include:
- Walter White: Chemistry teacher and Meth dealer. I'm only at season two, but he seems really cool...
- Oskar Schindler: Humanitarian and not-very-talented- munitions maker. Nice chap.
- Dudley Moore in the film Micki and Maude. Married two women and got them pregnant at exactly the same time. Following his bigamy and deceit being exposed, he ended up babysitting all of his children after.
- Eoin McNeill: Academic, Minister and member of the Boundary Commission. That went swimmingly, didn't it?
It wouldn't be fair to mention anyone still alive or not fictitious, because that'd be rude. And that's the height of our worries in these times of crisis.
With hospitals fatally running over budget, the vast majority of the elderly not receiving their necessary treatments to which they are entitled, and maternity hospitals, Holles Street included, being grotesquely under resourced in man-power, facilities and the wherewithal to effectively care for the most vulnerable people at the most vulnerable times in their lives, now's the time for senior management in the healthcare system to be doing what someone in the twittersphere charmingly referred to as "nixers".
They clearly haven't enough to be doing, and be jaysus, that three grand a week just isn't cuttin' it...
