Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
A MAJOR CHILDREN’S hospital has issued an urgent call for funds for a renovation, saying the facilities used to treat sick children are obsolete and “not fit for purpose”.
Staff at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin, south Dublin said the institution lacks modern amenities and children are treated in cramped wards with out-of-date facilities.
The campaign comes amid debate on the future of the National Children’s Hospital project – but campaigners said children cannot afford to wait years for a new hospital.
“Children are sick, right now, said Dr Orla Franklin, a consultant paediatric cardiologist at Crumlin. “Their illnesses ignore time and circumstances.” She added:
Every year Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital treats 130,000 children. We carry out 550 open-heart surgeries. Children are fighting aggressive cancers. These tough life struggles are happening in cramped and out of date facilities. This has to change.
The hospital is launching a new campaign to raise €8million for refurbishment of its cardiac and cancer care facilities.
Currently the cancer ward has no private rooms for terminally ill children, and no private bathroom for patients or their family to use, the hospital said in a statement. Meanwhile, parents of critically ill heart patients are forced to sleep on corridors and wards.
Unfortunately the numbers are going to climb big time here when all these results come back and the situation is going to get a lot worse so people please stay in and mind yourselves
@John O Donoghue: The testing really seems to be a shambles, hard to get an accurate view of how bad it is – until it hits our ER rooms badly. This along with the complete lack of any adequate border strategy will likely hurt us.
@John O Donoghue: theres captain positive posting the same stuff again
@John O Donoghue: You’re like a broken record John, have you nothing better to do?
If 90 per cent of the tests are negitive yet people are showing symptoms, what is actually wrong with them?
@Mattress Dick: a sniffle and panic…
@Mattress Dick: could be a cold, normal flu, tonsillitis etc. lots of viruses have a cough and temp as their symptoms.
@Mattress Dick: have a cough, have the flu etc. There are a few other things going around anyway
@Mattress Dick: would love to get an Italian front line doctor to assess patients before putting them forward for testing, I’d say they would pick the victims out of a line up.
You can imagine we have tested all the “Jesus I’ve got it, it has to be it, Well Fk it I’ll have to be tested.”
@Mattress Dick: is the issue of faulty tests and ppe coming out of China being downplayed?
@Mattress Dick: In my case asthma, a fever and a panicky GP. I rang for advice over another condition entirely and got read the Covid questionnaire. Do you have a cough…yes but it’s my asthma, do you have aches and pains.. yes but it’s… and so on. At the end of the conversation I asked “so will you see me for (the other condition) when I test negative for coronavirus?”. Dr said “only if you’ve no symptoms” I said “but I will have symptoms due to asthma and some other chronic complaints” Doc said “well it’s too dangerous for me to see you”
And there it is. A cough and a fever for any reason can get you on the list whether you asked or not.
@Mattress Dick: the tests isn’t 100% accurate. Some people have had false negatives
I am waiting for my result still. Waiting 10 days now for a result. Had my chemo cancelled 3 times while waiting. Due again on Friday. No message, no help number that can help.
I had sniffles and chills when I arrived for my chemo. Still have them. They are a side-effect of the chemo. They asked how I felt. I told them and they refused me the treatment. So the test was not really necessary. And now I can’t get my bloody chemo. I’m supposed to get it every 2 weeks and it has now been 5 weeks since I got it.
@Padraig O Muirthile: similar to me Padraig. Had my chemo from brain cancer stopped altogether, as the PCV regime they had be on was causing so much damage to my bone marrow that my white cells were not recovering at all, Neutrophils test (white cell count) coming back at 0.7 every week. In a funny way it’s a blessing as it has Geiger me 4 weeks Chemo free to let my body recover so that when (not if) I get the virus I’ll be better places to fight it off I hope. Keep fighting. We’ll bounce back from this, it’s just another obstacle for us to climb over. Take care.
@5☆Fily: Geiger = Given
@5☆Fily: I just want it over. The longer the delay the longer I will be getting it. It is a joke that we weren’t prioritised.
@5☆Fily: wish your the best guys. Your worry levels must be off the charts.
@Tim Brennan: like 5 star Fily said. You just have to get on with it. What else can we do?
@Padraig O Muirthile: This is shocking yet z rate celebrities get tested willy nilly.
@Padraig O Muirthile: you can email the national virus lab explaining your circumstances and ask them to mark you as urgent on the system: nvrl@ucd.ie
@Padraig O Muirthile: can the hospital you are meant to receive your chemotherapy in try screen you? Rather than a community screen?
@Tim Brennan: thank you Tim.
So, 1,000 a day for March. I don’t understand the low testing and huge waiting lists.
The 300ish seems to be the max new number, is this because of only testing 1000 a day or because its leveled off.
@RJ: and also, you catch the virus on Feb 1st. show symptoms 10 days later, get an appointment 7 days later again and wait 6 days for result. End up positive but 23 days chancing it. All very worrying.
@RJ: what will the test achieve????
@Michael Bodycoach: ill answer with another question, what will give the green light to open the country? Yes, test.
@RJ: You should have been social distancing all along and in isolation as soon as you showed any symptoms (your day 10). Once you have symptoms or are referred for a test you have to assume you have it and isolate. Whether or not you get tested is irrelevant.
@RJ: i can explain the problems to you in three simple letters which is HSE.
This pandemic hasn’t suddenly made HSE better or the people running it better.
@miju irl: look, no hospital in the world could or can deal with this, but 1000 tests a day, I think we have up to 45 test centres. Makes no sense.
@RJ: you’re assesment is incorrect as you are staying that we did 1000 tests on the 1st March and 1000 every day.
Reality is different to your over simplification.
We’re obviously doing more tests per day now that at the start of the month.
The real number we need to worry about in the number that are hospitalised and in need of ICU.
Everyone else can deal with it by insolation.
@RJ: 23 days “chancing it”? what does that mean? everyone should be isolating to some extent and if you’ve symptoms you should be isolating even within your household.
As long as you can breathe you don’t need medical attention. And if you can’t breathe then you need medical attention regardless of whether you’ve tested positive for coronavirus.
@Tom Concannon: No, not all need testing, but for some the test is important. I work with vulnerable people in a residential setting – yes i took precautions, but I need to know for their sakes if they’ve potentially been exposed. Also to know if I’ve potentially got immunity now so am better placed to work with those with symptoms or positive results, so protecting other staff without immunity. I also have an elderly Mam with a chronic respiratory illness, living alone in the country side, who I’m currently unable to check on or get shopping etc. If I get negative result soon I can aid her. If positive then hopefully I’ll have immunity shortly and can stop for a much needed bit of company when dropping in supplies.
Tested 19/3 Croker.
31/3 no test result.
Why, when others report later tests & outcome reports?
Is it a hit and miss effort, or a show exhibition just to give impression of action. Hope not, given the potential misuse of brave, willing nurses.
Clarify.
@William Kelly: wow and I thought it was bad going on to my 8th day waiting
@miju irl: and here’s the big problem.. hoolahan already said he doesn’t know how long the virus lasts on swabs ?? So probably lots of false negatives out there too
@John kavanagh: 16 dys waiting for a test after being ré-referred. I’m still sick and haven’t been outside my door. I live at home with my Mam who is vulnerable and whatever this won’t shift and everytime I think I have it beat it drags me back down. My Mam is okay so far but I M very worried as the longer I remain symptomatic in the same space the higher a chance she could get it if it is it. Last text I got from them ws lst Thursday after my ré referral. Nothing since
@Jensen Bhroin: stay strong is all you can do .. hope you and your mam come out of this in the right side ..
@William Kelly: I was tested on 19/3 in the Midlands. Told result should take 3 working days. No result the following Tuesday. Continued to wait for text message (negative) or phone call (positive) I’m still waiting here on 1st April. I believe the results are on somebody’s desk but the text machine isn’t getting to everyone. Nobody is willing to complain as we know how the people on the frontline and lab workers are doing their absolute best for the country. It’s probably an IT issue and a bit disappointing but I’m satisfied I’m clear as it’s been over 14 days since symptoms started and I’m well over 5 days clear of symptoms now.
The more tests, the more we’ll know the true figures. Telling people to stay at home for 2 weeks, and maybe they’ll get over it but we will then never know the full scale of infection in Ireland
@Ian James Burgess: except that in the 10 or more days it takes to get a test, most will have recovered. Those who have the virus and need hospitalization will have been admitted long before then. Such a long wait for results makes them a bit meaningless surely?
@Ian James Burgess: Meanwhile drive in test centres in Germany abound / organization
@Damian Moylan: if you read the article you’d know it’s a shortage of reagents (to analyse the swabs) that’s the problem not a shortage of tests or test centres.
@Ian James Burgess: why do we need true figures right now? everyone should be isolating to prevent transmission.
In time we’ll need to start testing for antibodies to see who is immune and who needs vaccination but meanwhile the true scale is fairly meaningless.
@Lorraine Mac Rory: not everyone can isolate. Many still have to work.
@Mary McDonagh Faherty: but apparently not enough in test centers…
@Lorraine Mac Rory: Should be isolating, but more than likely probably not.
@Lorraine Mac Rory: lord you seem to be totally clueless! How do we plan for how many test centres we need, how much ppe we will need, how many ventilators we will need, how long the country will need to be on full lock down etc etc if we don’t know the scale of the problem and its growth rate? How much economic activity is being lost due to people isolating and their partners not being able to work as a result of them not getting a quick turn around on a test? Tests and results matter massively in management of the virus (tracking down contacts and stopping them spreading it) as well as managing the results of it and also managing the economic ramifications
I’m guessing that the reason we will jump to testing 30,000 in two days from our current total of 30,000 overall is due to lack of all the necessary equipment. If this is the case then please just be honest about it. It’s a worldwide issue and not unique to us. Anybody looking to play the blame game will do it no matter what.
How many tests were actually analysed in the lab out of the tests performed on people ? It’s a question journalists at press conference should ask .
Lots we are not being told regarding these numbers.
2 friends (one family) both ill.
1st one waited a week to be tested (2 weeks ago) still no result
2nd waited 2 weeks to be tested (1 week ago) still no results
So are we really doing all this testing??
@Tony Gordon: the article explains the delay (global reagent shortage to process the tests)
Am I correct in saying this is all down to financial problems ?
As in are the government not actually providing enough money for tester kits staff etc ?
If so it’s a disgrace
@Ronan Dunne: no you are wrong , every country are running out of test and some country’s have received tests that are faulty
@Ronan Dunne: it’s a lack of produced tests as there is a lack of them globally due to a pandemic. Also, people are still not getting the fact that not everyone needs to be tested yet. Test will do nothing for the individual. Only help get people that are high risk some help or assist in keeping health staff on the floor in hospitals without infecting patients. Other than that people just need to self isolate as per their advice. No one here is an expert and should only follow the advice given by the Hse Virologists and professionals. They are doing an awesome job
@Brian Carr: not sure about that
South Korea are testing thousands every day
@Ronan Dunne: they were one of the first countries with the virus, they got them first and possibly ordered a massive amount
@Ronan Dunne: I wish I remembered my source and I wish I remembered the exact figures, so I’ll be perfectly transparent when I say something I don’t know to be a fact, but from recollection of something I read recently (could even have been the journal) Ireland has one of, if not the highest tests per capita administered of any country in the world.
Imagine a product as obscure as a biochemical test for a specific strain of virus that we’ve only known to exist for a number of weeks, now image the demand equals the global population (virtually 100% of consumers want this product), imagine every government on the planet throwing its resources at it to get it, imagine there were zero suppliers globally a month ago and imagine little old Ireland leading the race.
Relax, we’re doing great.
@Sean Fahey: correct and excellent
@Michael Bodycoach: Someone talking sense at last. As long as people with symptoms follow the self isolating rules, and they’re not so ill as to need hospital care, then it doesn’t matter about being tested.
As crazy as this may sound. According to what I saw on one of the news channels earlier, the more people who catch it and only develop mild symptoms and follow the self isolating rules, the better it will be for everyone in the long run.
@james dimaggio: Germany is doing 500,000 tests a week, if they’re doing that then there’s a good reason.
@Sean Fahey: I’ll try to refresh your memory. You probably read it here, from one of the many ‘I wouldn’t normally vote for Fianna Gael, but they’re playing a blinder’ accounts, that have popped up since Leo sprung the SCU back into action
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.independent.ie/world-news/coronavirus/taoiseach-brings-back-communications-guru-for-covid-19-public-campaign-39054064.html
@Ronan Dunne: No. No expense is being spared in order to try control this virus..Has to be seen to be believed at ground level decisions are being made in hours on spending that took months in the past. This is being treated so seriously on the ground its incredible. The buy in from staff is fantastic. We have had companies making some fantastic good will gestures . Almost restores my faith in mankind
@JimmyMc: I feel sorry for people so radicalized as to be blinded by rage and hatred, the worst form of motivation, during the worst crisis in the history of the state, focusing on discrediting to bring down a government doing a superb job protecting and leading the country, citing examples of clever initiatives such as a public communication program to keep the public informed, calm and to protect the supply chain.
Mental health services are appalling in this country and nobody is pretending there aren’t many failing vital services that this government and many before it have failed to address, but for you and your families well being I sincerely hope whoever is in government succeeds because I’m a proud Irishman who cares about fellow citizens, champions democracy and loathes terrorism.
@Michael Bodycoach: the WHO said ‘Test Test Test’ That way you find the virus and deal with it. People don’t just rock up for a test. They are referred by a GP. So I assume they have symptoms. Making people wait 10 days for results is cruel.
30,000 tested… ? I’ve been staying at home since St Patrick’s Day… 14 days…. So 2142 per day ÷ 26 counties = 82.3 tests per county per day… 8 hour day = 10 tests per hour per county…. Seriously am I missing something
“Obviously unanticipated ” says Mr gascon,in other words they failed to plan for this virus even though they had 2 months to do so.
How many tests were already actually analysed in the lab out of the tests performed on people ? It’s a question journalists at press conference should ask .
Need to lockdown country. Means no one on the road.
@Pranab Vasudeva: where’s your data that backs up your claim we need a lockdown
@Pranab Vasudeva: how do we eat?
@Pranab Vasudeva: So do you mean, no exercise? No dog walking? No driving to the supermarkets? No driving to essential work places? Where would you draw the line?
@Pranab Vasudeva: ????
@Pranab Vasudeva: the reason for social distancing and staying in home for a few weeks isnt to stop the virus(we cant) its to slow it down and put less pressure on health services. The likelyhood is that a vast majority of the country will catch it and will do them no harm. But closing down the country completely and starving everyone nd denying people basic healthcare and medicine will jill alot more than the virus. We need people with level heads in these situations.
@Pranab Vasudeva: Ok ..who is going to work in the hospitals…I travel 80 Miles’ round trip to work in a hospital. Would you prefer me to stay at home..its all the one to me…I’ll get paid. You won’t die if I’m not there but things will run a little more smoothly in my department if I’m there which will ease your journey through the hospital…again I’m there because I’m needed not because I’m a thrill seeker looking to try out some more pain.
Will these new figures on death rates this evening scare more over 70s to go into cocooning till it’s safe to come back out again!
I think it would be good to know where cases are now. My friend in Italy and my friend in Germany both know his many cases are in their home towns. I think it would be good to know. I’m staying isolated apart from the supermarket once every 10 days or so, which I’m very nervous going to…maybe if I knew where cases were then I could change where I shop. Am I walking into it or walking away from it? Could I avoid it, if I knew there was a cluster in an area? Reminds me of a childhood programme…The Vortex. That’s how I feel. https://www.pinterest.ie/pin/490399846898645847/
I tried
@annn… Because if you tell were worse cases are the brain dead of this wonderful island of ours would think it’s ok to go out again because it doesn’t effect my area ..!
@Jolly Bourke: yeah that would have been my one concern
Ok, fair enough. Was this not supposed to be about contact tracing? That’s first, secondly how can I be sure that after testing positive and staying in isolation for 14 days, that after those 14 days I do not have this stuff? You want put this responsibility on me? I am for example still caughing? Still have no appetite and still my taste is poor, and today was the day I supposed to finish my quarantine.
Time for people to take action listen to mary Lou she is the one driving the action all along
30000??? Must a be a lie. They not testing anyone who doesnt have shortness of breath with another symptom. And thats corona. B****t
I am coughing, poor appetite and taste is poor as well. I chain smoke and I am waiting for a test since 1 Jan
Urge ? Enforcement with large fine
have your say