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The state should buy private hospitals to increase the number of intensive care beds it controls, rather than pushing Covid-19 restrictions to the limit, Labor leader Alan Kelly said.
Such a move “would keep the economy much more open,” Kelly said. Currently, 243 of the 281 beds available in the ICU of public hospitals are occupied, the vast majority due to non-Covid cases. Twenty-two are occupied by patients with Covid-19.
On Sunday, the National Public Health Emergency Team said that, according to current projections, 43 people would be hospitalized per day by November 7, increasing the capacity of the ICU.
The Health Services Executive has increased the number of ICU beds from 225 to 281 since February. Seventeen more will be added under the Health Department’s winter plan, a one-third increase overall, the HSE notes.
Dedicated staffing
Each bed takes time to put into operation and requires dedicated staff. Seven hundred and fifty employees working in other departments have been trained to work in the ICU if the number of cases increases.
Elective surgery requiring high dependency beds, one notch below ICU beds, will be suspended if that happens, raising the number of ICU beds available to “between 400 and 500,” the HSE said.
Buying private hospitals would cost the state about € 1 million per bed, the Labor Party estimates, but a € 2 billion bill would be a “prudent investment” and would pay for itself, Kelly said.
Cheaper and better
The tax revenue lost through Tier 5 restrictions would pay for this in the first place if it could be avoided: “It will be cheaper and better for all of us if they actually buy some of the private hospitals out there,” Kelly said.
It is understood that the government considered buying at least one private hospital earlier this year. In the event, it effectively took over private hospitals for three months, at an estimated cost of € 340 million to the treasury.
Mr. Kelly was also highly critical of the way NPHET’s recommendation to move to Level 5 was announced, saying it was a “public relations disaster.” He said the nature of the commotion had upset many people and led to a sleepless night.
He said that the government needs to improve its communications and come out with clear statements regarding hospital capacity.
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