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FRONTLINE workers have spoken out on the chaotic scenes witnessed in their hospitals to raise awareness “before it’s too late” as they fear that the stay-at-home message is not reaching the public.
Doctors and nurses on the ground have warned that the worrying situation unfolding in Irish hospitals is about to get worse, as the true impact of Christmas will only be felt in the coming week.
“I don’t know how we are going to avoid the situation that we saw in countries like Italy,” said Rachel McNamara, a doctor at the University Hospital of Limerick (UHL).
“We are going to be overwhelmed in the next few days, as people who acquired Covid during the holidays can start to feel the real effects now and we don’t know how the healthcare system will cope, so the panic is really starting in.
“It doesn’t seem like people have the ability to take it seriously this time around and fatigue has really played a role.
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Rachel McNamara, Ph.D., Limerick University Hospital
“I don’t know what to say to warn people that this is coming. People will only notice when they see images of Ireland in the same position that Italy was in last March, and by then it will be too late.” ”Dr. McNamara added.
Limerick’s 14-day incidence rate is the third highest in the country, at 1,252.4 cases per 100,000 population.
UHL is currently treating 78 patients with the virus, six of them in intensive care. All outpatient appointments and elective surgeries were canceled.
Dr. McNamara has been working at UHL for the past three years and has “never faced anything like this before.”
The third wave has so far proven to overcome even your worst fears.
“Things feel really different this time. It’s a bit lonelier for healthcare workers since during the first wave the focus was really on protecting the healthcare service and you could see people staying at home, but I think everyone in society is running out of steam. patience.
“They just have enough compassion and empathy to move on.
“In March, when I was driving to work, it felt like a post-apocalyptic world. When I drove to work this morning, the traffic was almost normal. The situation is going to get out of control. “
Dealing with family members who have lost loved ones to Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic has been one of the most difficult aspects for the Limerick doctor.
“I am concerned that people will become numb and see fewer than 10 deaths as a victory. How can it be a victory? Behind every death there is a heartbroken family. The anxiety and stress that these people suffer because they cannot see their relatives is serious.
“I have never seen the hospital fill up so fast, it is full of sicker people than before.
“Right now we are reaching a stage where I’m not sure how much more we can take.
“People have seen family, friends and relatives who have come through the virus and may have been asymptomatic, and this makes people lower their guard. They are not trying to protect themselves too much.
“Some people will be unlucky and the more people with underlying conditions are exposed, the more tragedy we will end.”
The number of people in state hospitals with Covid-19 passed 1,000 for the first time yesterday.
Paul Reid, CEO of Health Service Executive, described the 1,022 patient figure as “a sad milestone that no one wanted to see happen.”
Mary Dunne, director of clinical nursing in the emergency department at University Hospital Waterford (UHW), told the Irish Independent that her biggest concern is running out of bed space or fans.
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Mary Dunne, Director of Clinical Nursing, Emergency Department at Waterford University Hospital
The government eased restrictions on Christmas and Waterford to reach the all-Ireland pitching final was something of a perfect storm for the county.
“I was nervous about those events as I expected that we would see an increase due to the gathering of people. There are plans for sudden increases, but we are concerned about what will happen if we exceed the expected increase, ”he said.
“Every day it gets busier. Sick leave is also a problem, since the staff is outside of Covid and that makes it difficult to manage the situation. “
Ms. Dunne has 30 years of healthcare experience and described the worsening situation as “very disturbing.” She pleaded with members of the public to do their part.
“There is a lot of Covid in the community and it is very worrying. Your health is your wealth. People are worried about exams, but if you are not healthy, you cannot take your Leaving Cert; you cannot do your job, without your health you have nothing.
“It’s only for a few weeks, so if they just row, please God, we will lower that R number. We will look back at terrible January 2021 and come out the other side and have less Covid and fewer sick people, but we have to do the what they tell us ”.
Meanwhile, thousands of nursing students will join their colleagues on the front line in the coming weeks when their college placements begin.
The topic of paying nursing students has been a hot topic since the beginning of the pandemic, with many working more than 36 hours a week without pay. A report recommending paying students € 100 each week has been described as an “insult”.
Teighlour Fegan (20), a sophomore who will soon travel from Wexford to Dublin for her placement, criticized the treatment of nurses.
“We, among many others, are slowing down our healthcare system, and all we will receive is delightful applause from the government,” he said.
“We are not important enough to get paid, nor do we do ‘real work.’ It was said that by mid-January we could have 2,000 people hospitalized with Covid, but this is still not enough for the government to pay nursing students.
“We sacrifice the health of our families and ours to work on the front line in this pandemic.
“There are so many HSE staff out of work who are sick with Covid or because they are a close contact, and nursing students have to fill these gaps.
“We have been told that a grant of € 100 per week will be made to nursing students and this is so insulting for the work we do and it really shows how worthy we are to our Government.
“My job in health care is to let myself go while I am in a placement, since I am too high risk, I will have no income. How can our hard work and effort be worth less than € 2.80 an hour? “
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