Sir, – Complaining about the HSE's approach to publicising numbers of vaccinated patients is harsh, but comparing it to Orwell's Ministry of Truth is ridiculous, as a correspondent does (Letters, July 10th).
Leadership in difficult times crucially requires efforts to maintain or boost morale.
It is surely right that Paul Reid of the HSE should try to do so in the current pandemic, and highlighting progress on immunisation is one way to do so. The entire point of the Ministries in Orwell’s 1984 is that they do the precise opposite of their stated aim: the “Ministry of Peace concerns itself with war, the Ministry of Truth with lies” and so on, exemplifying Doublethink.
There are enough reasons to criticise the HSE – such baseless criticism is unnecessary! – Yours, etc,
BRIAN O’BRIEN,
Kinsale, Co Cork.