The Chair of the Board of Cahercalla Community Hospital and Nursing Home has dismissed any suggestion that an outbreak of Covid-19 at the facility is not being adequately managed.
HSE staff are on site to provide support after a number of workers were forced into COVID-related absences, while members of the defence forces fulfilling non-clinical duties.
The process of vaccinating residents and staff against COVID has also begun there.
Cahercalla Nursing Home and Hospice has capacity for 112 patients, including 5 hospice beds had so far managed to stay covid free throughout the pandemic.
But since the days after Christmas, 19 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed among residents.
More than 30 staff are on COVID leave, due to them either contracting the virus, or as a result of being a close contact.
As staffing came under pressure a decision was made to provide external support, following consultation with the HSE and HIQA and a critical care support team arrived on site last week.
Defence Forces personnel have also been on-site since the weekend, providing non-medical support, such as maintanance, cleaning and waste management, while they’ve also been integral in the setting up of the vaccination clinic.
Residents and staff at the Ennis facility who do not have the virus will begin being vaccinated today, a number of days earlier than originally planned.
Chairman of the Board, Kilmihil GP Dr Michael Harty insists that while the outbreak is serious, it is being managed.
Concerns emerged about the outbreak from Saturday, when a video was posted on the Facebook page of the Mná ag Gaire women’s shed group.
While the video included some details which are at odds with the comments by Cahercalla themselves, Mná ag Gaire say they relayed information they had received in good faith, and that their intention was to put a call out to offer support to staff and residents of the community hospital.
The video sparked a large reaction, however, and Mayor of Clare and Ennis-based Fine Gael Councillor Mary Howard says this online commentary was distressing for family members of residents.
