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The psychiatric unit of a hospital in the Midlands was closed after a patient, who was transferred from Dublin without undergoing a Covid-19 swab, infected the entire ward.
According to the Irish Examiner, at least 18 patients and nine staff members at Naas General Hospital in Kildare have so far tested positive for the virus. Mass testing of the hospital staff corps will not take place before the Monday holiday.
The male patient in question was transferred to Naas from Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown on Friday, October 16.
He was transferred to general wards inside the hospital, which employs 1,000 people in the region, on Monday after he became ill and tested positive for the coronavirus.
“This guy was wandering around the hospital for three days. There are people who work in this department who move from one section of the hospital to another. We use the same canteen. Why was it not cleaned? said a source.
No response had been received from the local HSE community health organization regarding a query on this matter at the time of publication.
The Lakeview Psychiatric Unit at Naas Hospital is a 30-bed ward that is located next to the emergency department within the main hospital building. The unit shares equipment such as X-ray and MRI machines with the rest of the hospital.
The unit’s staffing is now operating at less than 50% capacity, according to sources, and replacements have been reassigned from other community services.
Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy described the outbreak as “shocking.”
“How can you manage a congregated environment if you don’t have strict protocols for testing?
“It is no small matter to be admitted to a psychiatric ward. These people are the most vulnerable. “
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