Sinn Féin’s Marie Doyle has expressed major concern for County Wexford after it was reported that there are currently no vacant ICU beds in Wexford General Hospital as of Tuesday, 6th October.

‘It appears that the majority of 6 ICU beds are occupied by people who do not have Covid-19, and the Daily Operations Report shows that just one bed is currently in use by someone who has tested positive for Covid-19 at Wexford General Hospital. While this is positive news at present, and we wish all patients in ICU a speedy recovery, there is a serious worry that, given the recent increase of Covid cases in Co. Wexford, our hospital could run out of capacity in a very short space of time, maybe even just with one additional COVID case that requires a Critical Care bed or ventilator.’

The representative for New Ross has also described it as ‘absolutely ludicris’ that the number of ICU beds at Wexford General Hospital has not been substantially increased since the beginning of the pandemic to allow for both the response to COVID19 and the usual winter strains on public health services.

‘This time of year is the beginning of the usual flu or winter vomiting bug season and by now the hospital should be adequately resourced to deal with any increase in cases, and we need additional ICU beds as a matter of urgency. It appears this will also be a challenge nationally after a report from the OECD earlier this year shows Ireland to have the lowest ratio of ICU beds in the EU. This is as a result of systematic failure by previous governments to adequately fund, and manage, our health service. Fine Gael & Fianna Fail are being found out, not just in Ireland, but across Europe.‘

‘Questions must be asked as to why, nearly 7 months after the country was put into lockdown in order to flatten the curve and allow time to adequately prepare our health service, a County Hospital like Wexford General still only has 6 ICU beds to cover a population of 150,000 people and now appears to already be out of capacity when caring for just one COVID19 patient.’