HSE focused on access to medical services for Ukrainian refugees 

Dr Henry also acknowledged that the recent rise in Covid figures is a cause for concern as they were having a “very disruptive effect” on the flow of patients through hospitals. Photograph: Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland

HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry has said that the HSE is focused on providing access to medical services for refugees arriving from Ukraine.

When asked about the pressures the health service was already facing, Dr Henry told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland  that Ireland has a long tradition of providing assistance and the hand of friendship “even when we have troubles of our own.” 

The troubles being faced by the people of Ukraine “put our own in perspective”.

On Wednesday, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said that among the more than 2 million refugees from Ukraine, more than 1 million children have fled the country since the invasion started.

Dr Henry also acknowledged that the recent rise in Covid figures is a cause for concern as they are having a “very disruptive effect” on the flow of patients through hospitals. 

The absence of staff through Covid is also having an impact on acute hospitals and residential care settings.

There are record high numbers attending emergency departments, many of them older people. The HSE is developing models of care that would not have to rely on acute hospitals.

Since Covid restrictions had been lifted and there were “more opportunities” for the virus to spread in congregated settings, the HSE had shifted its focus to individual advice (to self-isolate) and where the virus had the greatest capacity to harm.

While the rise in Covid hospital figures is troubling, half of those patients had been hospitalised with other conditions and had subsequently tested positive for Covid. 

The number of patients in intensive care specifically for Covid is also falling, he said.

It comes as a further 9,070 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed on Wednesday by officials at the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).

1,715 of the cases were recorded through PCR testing, while the remaining 7,355 were from positive antigen test results reported via the HSE’s online portal yesterday.

As of 8am on Wednesday morning, 829 Covid-19 patients were hospitalised, an increase of 26 on Tuesday’s figure.

51 patients were receiving treatment in intensive care on Wednesday morning, a figure unchanged from Tuesday.