CHAOTIC TESTING DELAYS
AS the people of Kerry face into at least three more weeks in lock-down major deficiencies are emerging in the COVID-19 testing programme with anxious patients waiting nearly a month to get their results.
The Kerryman has learned that several patients among the very first in Kerry tested for COVID-19 still haven’t received results nearly four weeks later.
Breda Flynn from Rathoonane in Tralee was rushed to UHK in the early hours of Thursday, March 19 after she called SouthDoc afraid she had fallen victim to the virus.
A team in Hazmat suits brought Breda to hospital where an urgent COVID-19 test was administered. Almost four weeks later she still hasn’t received the results of that test, one of the first carried out in Kerry.
Breda, who spent three days in an isolation ward at UHK, should be treated as a high priority case for testing as she suffers from COPD. She was sent home when her condition improved and has remained there ever since, still unsure if she had the virus or not.
Another Kerry patient who is a healthcare worker is also waiting a month for a result.
Others awaiting results include two nursing home staff who were tested – and self-isolated for 14 days before returning to work – but who have still not got their official results.
The Government insists that the 11,000 test back-log – down from 34,000 cases – will be cleared by the end of the week.
The ongoing delays have prompted fears that the Government doesn’t have the data it needs to successfully implement the test-heavy strategy they adopted to fight the virus.
On Tuesday evening 19 cases were confirmed in Kerry bringing the official total here to 219. To date there have been at least three COVID-19 deaths in the county.
SERIOUS concerns are being raised over the handling of the COVID-19 testing backlog as numerous cases emerge in Kerry of people waiting for up to a month for their results.
The Government and HSE’s message is for the public to stay at home regardless of any shortcomings in the testing system.
But an accurate assessment of the prevalence of COVID-19 via efficient testing is vital in Ireland’s war with the virus.
Blennerville woman Sarah Keane is still waiting for results, a month after she was tested at the testing centre in Tralee on St Patrick’s Day. She is convinced she had the virus.
Ms Keane was tested as her work in the health-care field, meant she had been in contact with known clusters. She has self-isolated and is over the worst of the illness but says that the delays must be rectified.
“I understand that the services are crippled, but I don’t think they will ever get the proper figures. They are doing a fantastic job but results need to be provided.”
A similar plea has been made by Tralee woman Breda Flynn who has also been waiting a month for results. She said she just wants to know if she has or had the virus.
“It is very stressful. I worked in a shop so that was my concern. I am home since but it is still a worry.”
Cllr Mikey Sheehy, who is on the HSE forum, has said he was informed a month ago at a meeting that Irish labs had sufficient capacity yet this is not the case. He said credit has to be given for the handling of the pandemic but questions need to be answered on the backlog.
Meanwhile efforts are ongoing to resolve a row over plans to move private consultants into the public health care system to fight COVID-19.
About 30 consultants at Tralee’s Bon Secours Hospital are caught up in the dispute over the issuing of temporary locum contracts to allow the consultants see public patients.
While the consultants are ready and willing to join the COVID-19 fight they fear the new arrangements will have a serious impact on their existing patients’ ongoing care.