Tag Archives: vaccination programme

THE Irish Defence Forces and the HSE Covid-19 Support Team are providing significant external support to an Ennis community hospital, which has been severely hit by staff defections following a major Covid-19 outbreak. It is the first time that the Irish Defence Forces has provided non-medical logistical assistance to a long-stay residential facility in Clare since the start of the pandemic. There were 20 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Cahercalla Community Hospital and Nursing Home  earlier this week. According to SIPTU, more than half of Cahercalla’s 60 healthcare assistants (HCA) 36, were out as positive cases or close contacts. The union has outlined 12 out of the hospital’s 28 nurses were also off work and one nurse left. One kitchen attendant and one cleaner were also off work. However, the HSE has provided a total of 18 nurses and healthcare assistants and ten agency staff, which varies on a daily basis. SIPTU health official, Mark Quinn has confirmed staff are …

FULL time carers and people with disabilities should be vaccinated as soon as possible, according to Councillor Ann Norton. Councillor Norton has called on the government to follow the example of the United Kingdom by prioritising carers and family members they are looking after for the vaccine against Covid-19. As a parent and full time carer, the Independent Councillor wrote to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, Tanáiste Leo Varadkar and An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin about the need to prioritise carers as part of the national vaccination programme and was very disappointed with the lack of any serious engagement. She received a standard acknowledgement from Minister Donnelly’s secretary, an automatic response from Deputy Varadkar and no response from the Taoiseach. Councillor Norton, who cares for her daughter, Nicole, (23) said it was time for the government to recognise carers were saving the state huge sums of money by keeping children and adults out of long stay residential facilities. “Full time carers are …

DAVID Crowe, a porter at Ennis Hospital, became the first Clare resident to be vaccinated at Ennis Hospital as part of the Covid-19 vaccination programme. The arrival of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in the Clare capital town on Wednesday has been welcomed by frontline healthcare workers, who have been challenged as never before throughout the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The first healthcare worker at the hospital to be vaccinated was Dr Mary Kennedy of the Medical Assessment Unit, who received her vaccine from staff nurse, Caroline Mulligan. Dr Kennedy said: “This is a day we have all been waiting for in Ennis Hospital and the arrival of these vaccines gives us all hope that an end is in sight.” The first batch of vaccines was delivered to Ennis Hospital on Wednesday morning, and it is planned initially to administer 50 doses per day to healthcare staff. For those who received vaccinations today, a second vaccination is required after a three-week period. This …