Eight deaths and 510 cases in the north with ‘die cast’ for ‘nightmare’

The president of the British Medical Association (BMA) in Northern Ireland warned that the health service will face a nightmare in the coming weeks due to a “leadership failure.”

Dr. Tom Black told RTÉ radio’s News at One that “the die is cast” and that the additional restrictions would not make a difference at this stage.

His comments came shortly before eight more deaths and 510 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in the region on Wednesday.

Dr. Black said that the BMA was now “above the politicians” to speak directly to the public to encourage them to restrict their movements and reduce their social contacts.

The Northern public had “given up” due to the “lack of clarity” in the decisions made by political leaders in Stormont, he said.

There was a real fear that doctors in intensive care departments would be asked to make “moral and ethical decisions” for which they were not trained.

Virtually every hospital in the North was faced with ambulances queuing outside with patients for whom there were no beds, Dr. Black added.

Republic Help

When asked if the health service in the north would have to seek help from the Republic, he said it was “an inevitable consequence.”

There was a leadership failure in the north. Looking south, people could see Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin working together and the public responding to calls about restrictions. “That’s where we should have been.”

Anne O’Connor, HSE’s director of operations, said the health service in the Republic was “not in terrible trouble,” but warned that as there was an increase in cases in the community, in a matter of weeks those cases would translate in “Problems in our hospitals” and then in critical care.

There was no doubt that the Republic’s health service would be under pressure in January, he said.

Speaking on Wednesday afternoon, Northern Ireland Prime Minister Arlene Foster said that people should take “any and all precautions” when they meet at Christmas.

Health Minister Robin Swann will present proposals for new Covid-19 restrictions to the Stormont executive on Thursday.

It is very clear to me that what we need is an intervention

Ms Foster said she did not expect Swann to recommend that new measures be introduced before Christmas, but could not rule out new restrictions after the holiday relaxations end on December 28.

Deputy Prime Minister Michelle O’Neill described the current situation with the pandemic in Northern Ireland as “really worrying”, adding that intervention is needed.

“I think it is totally unacceptable that people are being treated in the back of ambulances, but that shows that our health service is under enormous pressure, so I am very clear that what we need is an intervention, what it looks like. that. We will discuss it in the Executive tomorrow, ”he told the media.

Ms O’Neill said she will make the “right decision” on coronavirus restrictions to save lives and “not the popular one.”