Covid positive GP continuing to work by phone due to lack of locum cover

Dr Fergal Ruane told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland that the town of Belmullet was shell shocked with the high levels of Covid-19 in their community.

A GP in Belmullet, Co Mayo, who has Covid-19 says he cannot get a locum to cover for him so he has continued to respond to patients by telephone.

Dr Fergal Ruane told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland that the town of Belmullet was shell shocked with the high levels of Covid-19 in their community.

Belmullet continues to have the highest rate of Covid-19 in the country.

In the last two weeks up until Monday, one in every 18 people, or just over 5.5% of the population, contracted the virus.

There were 700 cases in the last two weeks with deaths “in the double digits”.

While the rise in cases had been inevitable, the high numbers had been a shock.

"The community was living in fear," he said.

The town was a Covid enclave, in a remote area with a small population.

"We’re a remote community on its own.” 

"Covid had devastated the area, the elderly were dying and people in their 50s were ending up very sick, many in intensive care facing a very slow recovery," he said.

"The community was under severe strain, one of the two local paramedics was in hospital and a local pharmacy had to open with only three staff," he added.

“I have Covid myself, I can’t get a locum, so I am working on the phone.” 

He said he had no choice but to do that as there was no locum available.

The first few days of his illness “were not pleasant” he said.

Dr Ruane said that in the week after Christmas “from 9am to 8pm the phone did not stop ringing.” 

 The community was rallying together, as they always did in difficult times, but people from outside the area were not welcome in Belmullet at the moment, he said.