Northern Executive Leaves The North Under-Resourced & Exposed In Coronavirus Second Wave
Cllr for Mid Ulster & Aontú Deputy Leader Denise Mullen has lambasted the Northern Executive for its under-investment in hospital capacity which has left the people of the North exposed and necessitated a severe lockdown.
Cllr Mullen: “The WHO states that a full lockdown is only recommended to keep the pressure off hospitals and conserve hospital capacity where they are reaching breaking point. Due to the negligence of the Northern Executive and their abdication of duty towards our Health Service the system is under serious pressure. Several of our hospitals in the North are at 100% capacity and some. The demand for ICU beds far outstrips ICU capacity. Bed Occupancy stands at 98%. There are 36 Covid-19 patients currently in ICU, and 30 on ventilators. There have been 140 Covid outbreaks in care homes. This is truly shocking. The Executive have left the most vulnerable, the most exposed. There is a clear argument now for bed capacity in the south to be used for people in need in the north. The fact that we are not integrating health capacity north and south is a real mistake.
“It is unacceptable that we have reached a point whereby the weight of this fight is being put on the shoulders of the people. Churches and businesses are being shut down again to try bail out the failures of the Northern Executive to expand hospital capacity. There is no confidence to be had in the Northern Executive’s handling of the pandemic. We exit one lockdown, have a week’s break before going back into an even harsher lockdown. Then despite the forecast of a second wave, the Northern Executive failed to prepare our hospitals in the case of a bad second wave. There has been no rhyme nor reason to their approach. It is unacceptable, and has put the people of the North in heightened danger because of the Executive’s failures.
