10 April 2020
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Easter Bank Holiday Appeal from the HSE’s South / South West Hospital Group
With temperatures set to increase this Easter Bank Holiday weekend, management at the HSE’s South / South West Hospital Group are appealing to members of the public to continue to follow the Government’s COVID-19 guidelines relating to social distancing, and hand hygiene, to ensure that they do not contribute to the spread of the coronavirus.
There was an operational briefing from the South / South West Hospital Group management at the Group’s recently established COVID-19 Operations Centre. The Centre co-ordinates the response across 14 hospitals in counties Kerry, Cork, Waterford and South Tipperary. Pictured (L:R) are Vice Admiral Mark Mellett, Defence Forces Chief of Staff and Peter Daly, HSE.
Pictured (L:R) are Dr Orla Healy, HSE; Peter Daly, HSE; Vice Admiral Mark Mellett, Defence Forces Chief of Staff; Breda O’Riordan, HSE; Gerry O’Dwyer, CEO, SSWHG and Kieran Henry, National Ambulance Service.
Management and staff across the South/ South West Hospital Group are asking the public to respond in the same positive and helpful way this long weekend as they did last weekend when this appeal was made. We acknowledge that staying at home and staying isolated can be difficult, particularly over a long period and especially over the Easter Bank Holiday, nevertheless, we want to remind people that they can save lives by staying at home and following Government and Public Health guidelines.
Gerry O’Dwyer, CEO, South / South West Hospital Group said:
“This bank holiday weekend, we are urging members of the public to abide by the current Government guidelines regarding COVID-19. We understand that this would usually be a busy weekend, when people would travel, visit family or go on holiday breaks. However, the best way to minimise the risk of COVID-19 is to simply to stay at home this Easter Bank Holiday weekend. Across the S/SWHG, hospital employees are working tirelessly to fight this virus to provide safe, high-quality care to patients.”
He continued:
“The South/ South West Hospital Group would like to reassure the public that we are working extremely hard to deal with the impact of COVID-19. The S/SWHG is very proud of our dedicated staff and how they have responded to this challenge. The perseverance which staff across the Group have shown and their on-going commitment to providing the best possible care to our patients is greatly appreciated. Not adhering to the national guidelines will inevitably place extra pressure on the hospital system, which unfortunately could seriously impact you, your family, your neighbours or your friends. Please think before you act and ask yourself, is this journey really necessary, are we keeping the appropriate distance, following cough etiquette and washing our hands. We all have a part to play in combating this virus, if we work together and follow the advice, we will get through this challenge”.
People are asked to visit www.hse.ie to receive the latest guidance and updates relating to COVID-19.
