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CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER Tony Holohan has urged people who have symptoms outside of those linked to Covid-19 to contact their GP and not to avoid the hospital for fear of getting the illness.
Holohan was speaking after he himself was admitted to hospital yesterday after he began to feel unwell. His admission was not related to coronavirus.
He said that during his stay, he was concerned by the number of empty beds that lay around him. He urged people who might have illnesses to contact their local GPs or emergency rooms as these medical professionals will be able to guarantee you get the best medical treatment possible.
He said in a statement: “I would also like to highlight a worrying scene I witnessed during my visit to hospital on Tuesday evening; empty waiting rooms and empty beds. While protecting yourself from COVID-19 is a priority, no one should ignore signs that they may need medical attention for other ailments such as lumps, chest pain or other concerns.
“Please do not ignore any symptom outside of COVID-19. The hospitals are there for all ailments, not just COVID-19.”
Speaking at the nightly Department of Health briefing, Holohan said he was feeling well and had been started on some new medications he hadn’t been on before.
“I responded to some symptoms at an early stage,” he explained, outlining why he decided to seek help in a hospital setting.
“I did respond quickly and was looked after well at a hospital which was not as busy as it I think it should be.
“That’s why I’m saying the message to people here listening if you have symptoms that are causing you concern, if you have a concern about a pain, a lump or a new sensation you hadn’t experienced previously, contact your GP or attend an emergency department and let the health service decide what is the best way to protect you.”
Holohan’s words were echoed by Leo Varadkar this evening who urged members of the public to come forward if unwell.
He explained: “Our hospitals are actually very quiet.”
“We are quite worried about what we call secondary deaths,” he added – saying there were concerns of an increased risk of people dying from heart attacks and other illnesses as the restrictions continued.
He said capacity had been increased across the health system in preparation for an anticipated surge in cases in coronavirus cases, but stressed that that surge had not arrived yet.
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This pandemic has shown us that there are a lot of people clogging up the health system with nonsense ailments.
@Liam Byrne: yup
@Liam Byrne: People not too slow getting out of hospital beds either when there is a virus hanging about
@Liam Byrne: Big time, nation of hypochondriacs.
@Liam Byrne: or are now not getting treatment when they should be and will see the consequences of it in the weeks and months ahead
@Liam Byrne: YFG bot
@Liam Byrne: minimum charge of €30 – €50 should be brought in. See how many free beds there are then
@Liam Byrne: all clinics have been cancelled, hence the empty hospitals. Our CMO can join the dots I’m sure.
@Declan Edward: welfare would just pay for it like a travel pass
@Liam Byrne: 100% and GPS over run wirh children wirh scrapes and colds. My parents worked hard their whole loves and had private health insurance. I barely ever saw a doctor. An ex gf who’s parents never worked a day in their lives was on first name basis with her doctor she visited so often growing upn
@Liam Byrne: absolutely bang on.one of the family broke an arm on Sunday morning down here in galway, was in and out in a couple of hours.the norm would be an all day and bit of the evening along with it.
@Carmel Myob: Well he was an acute admission through the ED. Clinic patients don’t affect numbers in the ED waiting room. Join the dots
@Benny: bit unfair alot of elderly patients only going mad to go home, but they werent allowed cos there were no carers in the community to look after them.
If this shows us anything it should be that care in the community needs alot more spent in it.
@Fr Romeo sensini.: a family board game that turned nasty I assume Fr?!
@Bountyop: Don’t talk sense on The Journal.ie!
@Liam Byrne: I was up in the local A&E just before the virus struck.
Didn’t see anyone who was there by choice,
The reality is that all the normal everyday activities, being at work of any description, being at school, participating in sports, doing DIY jobs around the house, and I’m sure many others that I’ve overlooked, are just not happening over the last few weeks which by itself will have led to a significant drop off in the numbers getting the types of injuries that would necessitate a trip to casualty.
@Fr Romeo sensini.: great to see you’re still kicking Fr Romeo! You’re right, but if those are charged say €25 that would be fair
@Liam Byrne: Last year there was 1.1m people on combined hospital waiting lists last September according to the Irish Hospitals Consultants Association!
Most clinics have been cancelled as have procedures and surgeries.The country is in lockdown.
People are afraid to attend A&E as they’re afraid of getting the virus or they don’t want to put pressure on our health services.
Maybe people with history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory disease,etc know they’re more likely to get more severe symptoms with coronavirus infection and end up being hospitalised so won’t attend hospital re treatment of their chronic conditions.
So you are incorrect!
@Sam Greene: I’m pretty sure those patients would still not be discharged unless a carer was provided – so they wouldn’t have anything to do with beds being freed up.
@Joe Kennedy:very important to keep that competitive edge Joe.it was a pure accident!
@chihuahua: Evidence?
@Liam Byrne: the impression I got was that people shouldn’t go to the hospitals unless really necessary.
I know dentists are not doing procedures for root canals etc.
@Liam Byrne: Do you have any evidence to support that claim?
Latest NTPF figures show the largest 3 groups waiting for in/day-patient treatment were for orthopaedics 10,200, general surgery 9,700, and urology 8,000. Not sure which of those comprise ‘nonsense ailments’. Or any other group for that matter. With over 600,000 people waiting, many for 18 months +, it’s hard to the nonsense ailments.
What about the evidence that many are staying away from hospitals for fear of contracting COVID-19? In particular, older adults and people with chronic illness.
Evidence to evaluate these claims would be helpful. It seems also likely that there would be consequences for making unverifiable claims, including reducing support for public funding and health service provision.
@Liam Byrne: do hospitals usually admit people with nonsense ailments? god, that’s mad. pretend hospitals, pretend patients and pretend doctors and nurses.
@Liam Byrne: I believe that to be very true.
@Richard L-V: the fact that they’re able to not go to hospital would indicate that they don’t need to go in the first place.
I think a lot more care needs to be given on the community, going to hospital should be a last resort. Too many easy, just in case referrals.
Older people are more likely to pick up infections etc in a hospital (in normal times) than by staying at home!
@jl:With that attitude I can see how she is your ex girlfriend
@Joe: That’s what Sláintecare is aiming for. Move a serious chunk of healthcare provision into the primary care section to relieve the burden on hospitals. Hope it works and I hope it’s properly funded.
@Joe: There does need to be more care in the community. No argument there.
But, can’t agree with your premise that because people are not attending they do not need to. These are not normal times. Consultant visits are based on GP or other referrals. Surgeries are on the list. Many outpatient appointments will be chronic disease follow ups. And so on. COVID presents a serious risk to people with chronic disease, who would make up a substantial portion of in and day-patients. I suspect it is less likely about being ‘able’ to not go, and more likely to relate to balancing (perceived) risk in making the decision not to attend. The appointment being less *urgent* than avoiding COVID infection doesn’t mean it’s less important.
@Garry Coll: I’ve been there and seen it clogged up with drunks, extended travelling families, drug addicts, prisoners – all barging to the head of the cue with genuine I’ll people languishing on chairs or trolleys
@Benny:
@Liam Byrne: I’d say it’s more likely that people are afraid to go.
@Thomas Sheridan: So those aren’t sick people?
@jl: Stop begrudging people the public services that our taxes pay for. Doctors services are there to be used. Most people have a preferred doctor, and it’s not weird that they’d get to know them over the years. My family has been seeing the same doctor for many years, I haven’t been to the doctors more than a few times myself, but I still know him, I’d still say hello if I meet him. So your parents were lucky enough to have health insurance, good for them. You don’t know the issues other people have. Would you rather the Ireland had the American Health care model?
Welcome back Doctor Holohan.
Hope you are feeling better.
@Justice Mickey: I hope he’s not back too soon, we need him for the long haul, great man
@Emer Caffrey: Correct. This is the type of people that should be elected to the seanad, not failed politicians
Very well said, the media have done a great job in terrifying people into staying away when people might actually have other life threatening illnesses.
@Martin: or maybe they don’t and are the reason the system is always clogged up
@Michael Walsh: or maybe you’re spewing sh!t€. Are you not familiar with the HSE and therefore not link that to the issues with how hospital A&E are run nationwide.
@chihuahua: That’s rich coming from you.
@Michael Walsh: I’m sure many would be better served by visiying their GP’s but a cerrain percentage need emergency care
@Martin: many many procedures have been cancelled. I’m really surprised he would come out with this – surely if people can stay away for couple of months to help the situation then that makes sense.
Anyway if you go into hospital any day of the week before the crisis there were tonnes of beds available. The problem is not enough doctors or nurses to man them.
I was 3 days on a trolley despite there being 2 wards with beds 20 + beds. But they didn’t want to open them as they’d be stretched.
They can’t get nurses because the government won’t pay them enough – and even threaten to fine them when they go on strike.
@Peter McGlynn: how can you stay away from the ED for a couple of months? You either are seriously ill or injured and need to be there or you don’t!
@Martin: or maybe…..there is a massive reduction in road accidents, no sport happening so no sports injuries, elderly people staying in so no falls, no pubs or clubs open so no drunken related accidents!
@Joe: EDs are not just for people who get knocked down in RTAs, have been stabbed, have heart attacks, etc., they are also the GATEWAY to the entire suite of heavyweight diagnostic and treatment facilities that no GP could offer in his/her surgery. That’s why waiting times for EDs can vary from 60 seconds to 18 hours before a patient is seen. Ever heard of Triage with EDs? When was the last time you attended a GP with several X-ray machines in his practice?
People with serious issues are considered high-risk, so it’s understandable if they’re afraid to go to the hospitals, which are hotspots.
Especially considering that 25% of cases are healthcare workers, as they’re not being given PPE.
@Dean: you’d think his brief would have informed him of the empty beds prior to his stay. It took him to wind up in hospital to realise that . Who’s informing him of the frontline and the nothingness that’s happening there . Hospitals don’t question money being thrown at them and noone to look after .
People running to A&E for a band aid and a spoon of calpol seems to be after finding a bottle of cop on in the medicine cabinet
@John O Brien: Or maybe there is no GPs surgery that can diagnose non-urgent stuff more effectively like Type 2 Diabetes, like happened to me several years back than a Hospital, with all it’s Heavy Equipment, and the EDs these days are the GATEWAYS to all the non-urgent Heavy Equipment Hospitals can offer. Tell me, when was the last time you attended a GP Surgery with several suites of X-ray equipment installed?
Waiting times in EDs can vary from 60 seconds for really urgent cases to 18 hours for low priority cases, and they are typically Triaged.
@John Hazelnut: I don’t know because i can’t remember the last time I was at the gp
I’d hazard a guess that there are less A&E attendances due to (1) No sport. (2) Minimal traffic (3) Minimal occupational accidents (4) Less paediatric related illnesses and injuries as kids seperated and at hone (5) Reluctance to risk exposure to COVID19 even if feeling a bit dodgy or with underlying condition.
What’s the deal with private hospitals. Our government leasing whilst elsewhere around the world they are free to save lives .
Who’s benefiting ? How much is the taxpayer on the line now to save Irish people?
Why the secrecy ? Media playing along as usual. Don’t as the serious questions..
@Willy Mc Entire: Thank you Willy, I did not know that Ireland is the only country that are not getting private hospitals for free.
@Willy Mc Entire: in times of national emergency, like this, hospitals and hotels should be temporarily nationalised
@Willy Mc Entire: they are getting the hospitals at cost. Sounds Fair to me.
Never going to be free as people and things have to be paid for.
@Willy Mc Entire: Agree. German public system is good.
If your in real need of A&E or in real need of a hospital bed you’ll make your way to hospital. Maybe this is something else.
Largely due to people locking themselves up 24/7
That gombeen Joe, constant commentator on here believes people were feigning injury before this, creating a trolly crisis because they could. A typical YFG member showing their moral compass again.
There’s alot of cynicism going around. People ARE afraid to go to hospitals because of the virus. I know of a couple anyway. People have already died at home. We will possibly hear in the near future that they had an ailment that could have been treated. A lady i know was hopping around in pain for days trying to avoid hospital, she had three broken toes. Some people are probably staying away because they don’t want to burden the hospital. so yeah, people are gonna find lumps, are having chest pains, have bad cuts, severe headaches etc etc which will all get worse if left.
Amazing
I would be concerned that people are simply “not bothering” to ring their GP or go into a hospital. I know I would not have to be put into an ambulance right now! But, a good message to people who are unwell – please contact your GP if you are concerned!
What is he on about ?….
i normally would avoid mullingar a+e at all costs as its like woodstock in there 24/7.
but i had to attend last week for a non covid 19 ailment. shocked and stunned to say the least.
not a sinner in waiting room, in and out in 4 hours whereas its usually 10 hours plus
It’s true though alot of people who don’t need to be there just go.
I got the tip of the thumb severed but still on enough to paper stitch it back in place. It was a Friday evening I cleaned dressed the wound and bandaged it back together with paper stitches because I’d be ashamed to add to a busy Friday night in James hospital over a thumb.
Thumb regrew but lost sensation in the tip but functions as before.
Good.. The expected surge hasn’t arrived.. Long may that last and long may hospitals remain quiet…
Strange that is,were also seeing empty emergency test centers all over the country erected at an extortionate expense to the irish taxpayers
This is exactly the confusing thing about this whole pandemic first they saying we shud cocoon the vulnerable in society but now there saying come along if you experience anything lumps ,chest pain etc ??? And we all know or are led to believe that it can spread so easily , but now they are encouraging people to hospitals that I and a lot of people would think during this pandemic as a hotspot to catch this virus ???
maybe if they had explained how the hospitals would be safe enough for people who needed to attend. Instead the campaign implied that hospitals were the most dangerous places to go to.
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