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TAOISEACH Micheál Martin believes that Beacon’s CEO must be held accountable for his actions, as vaccination operations were suspended at the private hospital.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly announced this afternoon that vaccination operations at the hospital were suspended.
The move comes in the wake of revelations that the hospital gave school teachers and daycare centers Covid-19 vaccines this week.
The Taoiseach spokesperson said: “Vaccines belong to the Irish people.
“There are clear rules and guidelines regarding its administration. They prioritize the most vulnerable and front-line health workers.
“There are specific rules regarding the allocation of leftover vaccines at the end of a day’s administration. Clearly, these rules and guidelines were violated by The Beacon Hospital.
“What happened was wrong and it was a breach of trust. Such behavior undermines confidence in the vaccination program.
“The CEO should be held accountable for his actions by The Beacon Hospital board.”
In a statement on the suspension of vaccination operations at the Beacon, Minister Donnelly said: “Ireland’s vaccination program is the most important public health program in memory.
“It is essential that the program is run according to the agreed prioritization to maximize the benefit of the vaccination program and the speed with which Ireland can exit Covid-19 measures. The provision of vaccines by Beacon Hospital to a school was completely inappropriate and completely unacceptable.
“I have considered this matter carefully and have worked with HSE to assess the operational implications of suspending vaccination operations at Beacon Hospital Dublin.
“I have now asked HSE to suspend vaccination operations at Beacon Hospital, with the exception of those individuals who have already been scheduled to receive their vaccination at the center. HSE is implementing alternative arrangements.
“In addition, I have asked the HSE to appoint a senior official to immediately examine what happened and make recommendations regarding necessary actions or changes.
“I am also writing to the Beacon Hospital Board to ask them to conduct a review of what happened, including consideration of any appropriate responses,” he added.
Earlier today, TD Paul Murphy became the latest politician to call for the resignation of Beacon Hospital Executive Director Michael Cullen following the revelation that the hospital administered Covid-19 vaccines to school teachers and daycare workers. week.
The People Before Profit deputy said that the distribution of Beacon Hospital vaccines to teachers “before even their own patients is grossly immoral and unethical” and said, “he must resign.”
The hospital’s actions, which he said were carried out due to “time pressure”, have come under heavy criticism and Mr. Cullen acknowledged yesterday that they “were not in line with the sequencing guidelines at the scene of the HSE “.
Rep. Murphy said: “While these vaccines were administered to private school teachers 14 km up the road, there were patients in the hospital who needed them and were waiting for them. There is no excuse for what happened ”.
Mr. Murphy said that the fact that this happened at the Beacon “inevitably raises the question of whether this has happened with other vaccines.”
He called for a “rapid investigation”, including representatives of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organization and patients, to see if other vaccines have been diverted.
It is understood that Mr. Cullen’s children attend St Gerard’s private school.
Child care workers and teachers are in Health Services Executive Vaccine Launch Cohort 11. Cohort 4, including medically vulnerable people between the ages of 16 and 69, is the last cohort to start receiving vaccinations in recent weeks.
Labor leader Alan Kelly yesterday called Cullen’s actions “outrageous” and said his position “is now completely untenable.”
“It is incredible that the CEO thought that this type of behavior would be appropriate or acceptable and now there is a fundamental question about his judgment.
“This two-tier elitism is shocking and has unfortunately been made possible by the lack of a coherent vaccine strategy by the Minister of Health,” Kelly said.
Visit our Covid-19 Vaccine Dashboard for updates on the vaccination program launch and the Ireland coronavirus case rate
Online editors
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