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Hospitals Canceling Surgeries and Using Augmentation Capacity Due to Covid-19 Admissions, HSE Says
by James Ward, PA
Hospitals are canceling elective procedures and using augmentation capacity due to the high volume of Covid-19 patient admissions, the HSE said.
Admissions have quadrupled over the past month, and hospitals in Cavan, Cork and Donegal are said to be under special pressure.
HSE CEO Paul Reid said hospitals “are still coping,” but the trends are worrying.
He said: “What we are seeing is some impact on some hospitals in terms of elective care and non-Covid services that they don’t want to happen.
“We see that a smaller number of hospitals are starting to use the augmentation capacity, which is not where we want to go.
“Our hospitals are still managing. We continue managing, under pressure, but managing. The main concern is to look to the future, whatever comes to mind ”.
It was highlighted that Cork University Hospital, Cavan Hospital and Letterkenny Hospital in Co Donegal face particular pressure.
Mr Reid said: “Cork University Hospital has launched a series of initiatives to redesign and put in some additional bed capacity over the next week.
“They are also looking at the potential use of part of the capacity of private hospitals there. So they are taking initiatives and continue to do so, but it is the trend that worries us ”.
This week Ireland recorded 1,095 cases recorded in a single day, the highest number since the pandemic began.
Week by week, that represents a 65% increase in virus incidents.
There are currently 238 patients with the virus in hospitals and 29 in intensive care units.
The number of healthcare workers who are absent, either through contracting the virus or through self-isolation as close contact, has risen again to 1,100.
Mr. Reid appealed to the public to adhere to the guidelines and not expose health workers.
He said: “They are, as we all know, they are the last line of defense against Covid. We don’t want to put our people there as the last line of defense.
“I would use a very simple analogy of a soccer team. Our frontline healthcare workers, the people who work in clinical care and ICU, would be the equivalent of our doorman. No good team leaves its goalkeeper very exposed ”.
He added: “There is much more we can do to protect our healthcare workers. Avoid meeting people if you don’t have to. Please definitely avoid going to people’s houses. “
Meanwhile, testing capacity has improved to exceed the target of 100,000 tests per week.
Reid said more than 103,250 swabs were done in community and hospital settings in the past week and 99,260 lab tests completed.
In recent weeks, 25% of Covid-19-related hospital admissions have been in people under the age of 35, Reid said, emphasizing that the virus “affects all age groups.”
9,345 tests have been conducted among students and staff in 384 schools, with a positive rate of 1.9%.
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