A 68-bed field hospital has been opened at the University of Limerick to cater for non-Covid-19 patients, including those who may have recovered from the virus.
The Interim Care Facility has been opened as part of measures to free up acute hospital bed capacity in the mid west region.
It’s expected the first 25-30 patients will be accommodated throughout this week.
Project lead Professor Paul Burke is confident hospitals in the region can cope with a surge in Covid-19 cases, but insists the virus is going to remain “a threat”:
“We have quite a good contact tracing system in place now. And if we identify things quickly, I think we’ll be able to curb it (Covid-19). But, I think we will have a consistent number of people in our hospitals with Covid on an ongoing basis. So, the threat is going to continue.”
Meanwhile, 39 patients at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) are on trolleys this afternoon.
According to figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), the Dooradoyle hospital has the worst case of overcrowding in the country.
Nationally, there are 134 people on trolleys, none of whom are at South Tipperary General or Nenagh General Hospitals.
