THE true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members, Mahatma Gandhi said.
By this standard, Northern Ireland is failing at the most fundamental level.
New figures show that more than 335,000 people are now waiting to see a hospital consultant for the first time.
More than half have been waiting more than a year. This paper revealed recently how waiting lists for some conditions stretch as long as seven years.
Behind the statistics are the many human stories of people living with pain, fearful for the future, not knowing when, if ever, they can expect to receive relief.
And of course the longer people are forced to wait, the more their condition is likely to deteriorate and the greater the demands placed on a health system which is simply not capable of delivering.
The crisis has worsened further in the last year, when resources were understandably redirected to prevent mass loss of life from coronavirus.
But why can the response to the pandemic, when the full battery of government powers was swiftly applied to a specific problem at unprecedented cost, not be replicated in the case of shocking waiting lists?
Health minister Robin Swann has spoken of the need to commit to substantial extra funding, ring-fenced over several years.
Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said yesterday she has asked for a dedicated discussion at the executive around a plan.
A range of political voices have also acknowledged the need to transform services to prevent the backlog building again.
The public would be forgiven for saying they have heard all this before.
The action needed has repeatedly been outlined in expert reports but the simple reality is that successive Stormont administrations have not prioritised health reform.
It is a devastating indictment of our political class, who often appear far more concerned with divisive debates over symbols than meeting basic human rights of the people they serve.
Public anger over the treatment of nurses helped finally propel party leaders back to the executive table when devolution was restored 16 months ago.
The men and women of the health service have proved their commitment beyond any doubt over the past year.
With an assembly election around the corner, it can be expected that voters will deliver a damning verdict if our politicians do not make action on waiting lists an immediate priority.
