[ad_1]
Patients at Letterkenny University Hospital in Co Donegal were being treated in ambulances off the premises on Sunday night due to lack of capacity at the hospital, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organization (INMO) said.
An increase in Covid-19 cases has led to increased pressure on the hospital system in recent days, with hospitals across the country deferring elective or non-urgent procedures, as well as outpatient appointments, as a result.
At 2:00 p.m. on Sunday there were 1,452 hospitalized Covid-19 patients, of which 125 are in the ICU. This means that there were 100 additional hospitalizations for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours.
Paul Reid, executive director of HSE, said Sunday that the health system was under “increasing pressure.”
Neal Donohue, INMO’s labor relations officer for the Northwest, said there was “unprecedented pressure” on the Letterkenny hospital Sunday night.
“Beds are closed due to a shortage of staff and the emergency department is full,” he said.
“We have reached a stage where at least seven patients are being treated in ambulances because there is no space in the hospital. This is the largest outbreak the hospital has ever faced. “
The INMO said that most of the patients treated in ambulances had “some kind of respiratory problem.”
Donohue said the hospital “urgently” needs additional staff to cope with this demand.
“The Government must make sure that all hands are on deck for this. On behalf of the healthcare team, I cannot urge people in Donegal and across the island [enough] follow public health advice and stay home. “
‘Extremely busy’
A spokeswoman for the Saolta University Healthcare Group, which represents Letterkenny University Hospital, confirmed that it was “an extremely busy weekend” for the facility with a “large number of patients with suspected Covid-19. or confirmed, many of which required admission to the hospital. “
“As a result of the sustained level of these presentations over the course of today [Sunday], the hospital has had few beds available, which has caused delays in admission specifically for patients going to the area dedicated to Covid-19, “he said.
“As part of the hospital’s response to this dire situation, clinical teams evaluated patients who were delayed in entering the ambulance. This was to ensure that patients were treated with clinical priority. “
The spokeswoman said the hospital secured additional staff Sunday night, allowing it to open another 11 beds to respond to the demand.
“Although ambulances were delayed in the late afternoon, during the night they have [been]and they continue to be released. The hospital would like to apologize to patients for the anguish caused by these delays and would like to acknowledge the enormous effort of its staff. “
[ad_2]