HSE refuses to say if sector has ample PPE kits
THE HSE will not answer directly whether or not nursing homes have run out of all suitable personal protective equipment.
The Irish Mail on Sunday understands that the sector has been left with no suitable equipment such as masks, gowns, gloves and goggles, even as it emerged that more than half of all coronavirus deaths in Ireland are among nursing home residents, with at least 135 clusters of cases.
The MoS put questions to the HSE on the matter over the weekend, but it did not answer directly or deny that the nursing home sector had run out of equipment.
Aer Lingus has sent dozens of jets to China to bring back a €200m shipment of PPE. However, the HSE has admitted that about 20% of this is not suitable.
‘The HSE is, and has been since early March, working closely with a wide range of residential care services, including private nursing homes, in relation to the control of outbreaks of Covid19 in such centres,’ the HSE responded this weekend.
‘The range of issues being dealt with mainly relate to advice, access to PPE, public health-related measures and, in a small number of cases, access to staff where such nursing homes cannot recruit same.’
The HSE added that it would ‘continue to work with all providers to support them in their obligations of providing residential care services to their residents.
The Executive said: ‘The HSE has nine Area Crisis Management Teams (ACMT) across the country and these are central to the actions being undertaken to mitigate the impact of Covid-19.’
It added that private nursing homes make up more than 85% of long-term care provision in the country and residents in long-term care were at particular risk.
‘Critically, HSE public health doctors have been central to the management of Covid-19 cases in residential care settings.’
Returning to the topic of PPE, it said: ‘Further enhanced measures are currently being implemented in relation to PPE management and supply.’
It added that: ‘PPE received from our primary source of supply has not been determined to be unusable. In addition to our primary line of supply for PPE, the HSE has opened a number of secondary PPE supply channels. The HSE is examining all opportunities that can generate sufficient volume of PPE.’
Earlier this week, Tadhg Daly, chief executive of umbrella body Nursing Homes Ireland, criticised delays in the delivery of PPE to nursing homes in some parts of the country.
He said a survey of his group’s members found just 51 homes, or 24%, received a full supply required for a short-term basis or three days’ use.
He added that 29% were still awaiting a delivery of any
PPE at all.
Just 24% of homes got 3 days’ use of PPE