COVID-19 TESTING AT NURSING HOMES TURNING INTO A ‘FARCE’
THE director of operations at a Wexford nursing home has described the mass Covid-19 testing of residents and staff nationwide as a farce, as results have still not been provided some ten days later.
Knockeen nursing home director of operations Nicola Doran Kinsella said: ‘We were all tested. Some of the staff were tested Friday week ago and the rest of the staff and residents were tested the following day.’
The HSE has said test results are being returned in between 24 and 48 hours, but this hasn’t been the case locally.
Knockeen nursing home has 49 residents and is one of many across the county where delays in test results has been experienced.
‘This is happening all over the country. It was a total waste of time. I prepared families thinking they were going to take a few days because of the huge numbers of tests being done, thinking we’d get them back by Tuesday or Wednesday. Unfortunately public health in Kilkenny have not been able to furnish the results.’
Ms Doran Kinsella said family members of residents have been calling the nursing home, concerned about the delay.
‘It’s adding to the stress. It’s just that we had the whole process of the day of the testing and the preparations that entailed. It was an anxious time for the residents and the staff who were all going for their test. We were hearing about how quick the testing was supposed to be. It’s over a week now and it’s becoming a total farce.’
Ms Doran Kinsella said public health officials in Kilkenny who are processing the Covid-19 test results for the south east, have assured her that none of the tests which have been reviewed have returned positive.
‘At the same time that was just verbal. The problem is the glut of test results that has to be gotten through.’
With thousands of nursing home residents tested over a two day period, microbiology department staff have been overwhelmed.
Ms Doran Kinsella said some nursing home have receive their results in Co Wexford, but many others haven’t.
‘It’s just pot luck.’ Independent TD Verona Murphy said: ‘The roadmap set out by Leo Varadkar has not addressed the calamity that is the inability of the HSE/NPHET to get to grips with testing. It gives no defined targets for the HSE to achieve in terms of test, trace and isolate, the proven method to deal with the virus.’
Deputy Murphy said the only reason that easing of restrictions are not happening is because the HSE are not on top of testing.
She said: ‘It’s time for Government to be accountable, It’s time for timelines for testing numbers to be achieved. It’s time for transparency in the form of clear daily briefings. It’s time for clear messaging from Government.’
She said the public have done their part by adhering to social distancing it is time for the State to get on top of its contribution.
‘As long as testing remains unresolved no progress can be made on easing restrictions, which are costing between €200m and €400 million a day.’