The Chair of the Board of Cahercalla Community Hospital and Hospice has expressed shock, following the discovery of a three more positive cases of Covid-19 at the facility over the weekend.
This is despite completing their vaccination programme last Monday.
It comes after the board has announced that clinical and managerial oversight at the facility will be outsourced to help ensure its long term future.
Speaking today on Clare FM’s Morning Focus, Chairman of the Cahercalla Board Dr. Michael Harty stated that the hosptial has come under pressure in recent months in relation to governance and management procedures, following a number of retirements and resignations.
This was further compounded by a recent outbreak of Covid-19, which saw 23 cases of the virus among patients and staff, and four patients subsequently passing away as a result.
In the aftermath of the outbreak, HIQA carried out inspections which demanded changes to the managment and governance of Cahercalla.
Now, the Community Hospital and Hospice has announced a ten year deal with Mowlem Healthcare, which the Board says will bring about improved quality of care for residents and help improve services there.
There’s also reassurances that Cahercalla will remain in the ownership of the voluntary Board and that employment contracts of employees won’t change.
Mowlam already operates in another nursing home in Ennis and a facility in Kilrush and began its work at Cahercalla yesterday.
Dr. Harty insists it’s a positive move.
The second round of COVID vaccinations was completed at Cahercalla last week, with all but a small minority receiving their second dose of the Pfizer BionNTech jab.
However, following routine swabbing on Thursday, two patients and one staff member have tested positive for the virus.
The possibility that these are false positives is being investigated.
It is expected that the vaccine will afford protection against serious illness, but Dr. Harty said this morning that he was shocked at the number of positive cases.
They’re liaising with the HSE about the matter.
