Serious concern Covid surge will curtail services at UHK

There’s a serious concern the surge in Covid cases will prevent University Hospital Kerry from delivering a full service.

That’s according to hospital clinical director, Dr Niamh Feely, who says staff are off due to the virus, but it’s also more difficult to free up beds for new patients.

This is due to the unavailability of nursing home beds, or where a person can’t be discharged due to having a vulnerable family member at home.

Yesterday hospital management asked people to only attend UHK’s emergency department if absolutely necessary, due to long delays.

Dr Feely believes the number of Covid cases hasn’t yet peaked, and she’s urging the public to wear face masks and assess their risk in the community.