University Hospital Limerick says no other similar hospital has been more challenged during the COVID-19 pandemic, in terms of the number of vacant beds.
The latest figures show that while pressures have eased somewhat, there are just two vacant beds in the hospital’s ICU Unit.
The UL Hospitals Group issued this statement to Clare FM last Thursday, after HIQA had said “immediate” action was needed to tackle potential issues with infections at Dooradoyle.
Responding to that report, and still stressing that they’ll work with HIQA, the Group says it was based on a self-assessment tool that followed a Yes/No format and allowed for little further context.
And after HIQA said no extra infection control staff had been appointed here, during the pandemic, officials say they’re already employing more infection control specialists as a proportion of overall workforce than most hospital groups.
Those workers are also praised, in this latest statement, which reveals that 42 staff at UHL have tested positive for COVID-19, and these include cases associated with travel and community transmission.
The number is much lower than some other hospitals, as over 7,800 healthcare workers have been diagnosed with the virus nationally.
This has come in spite of the high level of patients at UHL, including high demands on intensive care beds, as well as the hospital’s dated infrastructure.
The latest figures show just two vacant beds in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, along with thirty more vacant general beds.
As of Saturday, the hospital was dealing with 18 confirmed and 27 probable cases of the virus.
Nine of those patients are in the hospital’s critical care unit.
