Even when hospital wards in Ireland close without staff, HSE turning their face against reality

HSE tries to hide the problem of staff shortage even when all the hospitals in Ireland were in crisis without adequate staff.

HSE says that everything is in their hands and at the same time they also says that hospitals are in big trouble without staffs.

The fact that high-ranking officials themselves speak in different voices is also a ‘feature’ of the Irish health sector. Some hospitals have Covid outbreaks, but some have a simplistic view that everything is under control.

HSE Chief Executive Paul Reid has released the situation of four hospitals in Ireland facing staff shortages. He said staff shortages had put these hospitals under considerable pressure.

Limerick University Hospital and Ennis Hospital, which are facing Covid-19 outbreaks, are short of 161 staff members. Wards at both hospitals have been closed due to staff shortages.

Naas (77 employees) Letterkenny (75 employees) In hospitals, employees are unable to work due to close contact with infected patients and being infected. There are not enough staff on shifts. Paul Reid said this was causing significant disruption.

The Naas management demanded an end to the flow of patients to the emergency department at Naas Hospital.

Due to staff shortage, hospitals are ‘drowning’, but no one is paying attention, Paul Reid explained.

However, Dr Vida Hamilton, the HSE’s group lead for acute hospitals, was having a different opinion. Vida Hamilton responded that Covid outbursts were being handled appropriately at all four hospitals.

Speaking at a two-week Covid-19 briefing by the National Public Health Emergency Team in Ireland, she said the situation was under control at all four hospitals. Each of these hospitals has its own outbreak team, which meets daily.

They also admitted that services and procedures had been cut short. She added that an extensive Covid examination of staff and patients is underway at each hospital.

At the same time, the UL Hospitals Group confirmed that Limerick and Ennis hospitals have only regular outpatient services as they struggle to control viral infections.

Level 5 Covid-19 controls have a positive impact on the control of the virus, Paul Reid said. He explained that Ireland was halfway through disease control and that there were huge challenges ahead.

“As long as we have the virus and as long as we have the presence of the virus, it puts our healthcare system at risk.” Paul Reid added.