Doctor desperate to get home from Australia to help faces €11k flight

IRISH doctors and nurses living abroad who want to return home to work on the frontlines of the Covid-19 pandemic are struggling to find flights back, as more and more nations close their borders.

Some trying to fly home from Australia face a bill of €11,000, leaving many ‘emotional’ as they long to be with their families at this time.

This comes as it was confirmed yesterday that more than 60,000 people have registered online following the HSE’s recruitment drive to encourage retired medical workers and those who have moved overseas to return to the Irish health service to help fight the battle against coronavirus.

However, the large-scale cancellation of flights in various countries is now hampering those efforts.

Yvonne Ryan, from Clonakilty, Co. Cork, explained that her daughter, who is working as a doctor in Melbourne, had a flight booked to return to Ireland this weekend.

However, it was cancelled as Emirates suspended its services.

Ms Ryan told C103 radio station: ‘When she heard what was going on here, the guilt was with her, the loneliness, the emotion, so they decided last Friday that they would answer the call, book flights, register with the Irish Medical Council and come home and help Ireland.’

She explained that her daughter had managed to get a flight to

London via Dubai, but in recent days Dubai shut its doors to visitors.

‘They are now stuck in Australia, all doctors, unable to get home and they want to come home and help. They’re very upset, they’re very emotional.’

Ms Ryan added that the only flights available next weekend were via Qatar, and cost €11,000.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has said it is in contact with a number of Irish citizens currently in Australia, through the Irish Embassy in Canberra and the Consulate General in Sydney.

A spokesperson for the department said: ‘This is a rapidly evolving situation and consular officials are following up with Irish citizens, providing all possible advice and support in relation to those seeking to repatriate to Ireland.’

They urged any Irish citizens in Australia with concerns to contact the Irish embassy in Canberra or Consulate General in Sydney by email, and to register their contact details on the Citizens’ Registration service, which will allow the Department to contact them and provide assistance in the event of an unforeseen crisis or family emergency.

Meanwhile, the HSE is currently focused on recruiting healthcare professionals who are not already providing healthcare in any work setting, and are available to work immediately.

This is the group being contacted first, from the 60,000 who applied, and interviews have already started with doctors and nurses in this category.

‘They decided to answer the call’