Covid upsurge leaves UHG on the brink

A tsunami of new confirmed cases of Covid-19 and a record high of virus-related hospitalisations has heaped pressure on University Hospital Galway (UHG) – and management has warned the worst is yet to come.

As new Lockdown restrictions kicked in on New Year’s Day, Galway’s 14-day incidence rate of Covid-19 rocketed, and – combined with a sharp increase in hospital admissions – threatened to overwhelm the West’s largest public hospital.

And while the virus is rampant in the community, it has also spread within the city hospital, where three wards are currently closed to new admissions due to outbreaks or clusters among patients.

The Connacht Tribune understands that over 50 beds in UHG are closed due to hospital-spread clusters, and dozens of staff are on leave due to Covid – mostly because they are close contacts and have to isolate but some who have contracted the virus.

In an effort to free-up capacity – beds and staff – and ease pressure, management at UHG, both Merlin Park and Portiuncula in Ballinasloe have cancelled non-urgent outpatient clinics and surgeries for at least a fortnight. Private hospitals have also been drafted in to alleviate the strain.

There was a chink of light from the rollout of vaccinations with the arrival of an additional 1,500 vaccines this week.

The HSE said some 540 staff at UHG received their first dose of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine last week, and it will be rolled out to staff at Portiuncula today (Thursday) along with staff and residents of Merlin Park Community Nursing Units 5 and 6.

The roll-out of vaccines to the rest of Galway’s nursing homes is on schedule to commence next week, the HSE said.

See full story, and comprehensive coverage of the Covid crisis – including a lookback over how the story unfolded since March – in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now. Or you can down our digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie