SOCIAL Democrat TD Holly Cairns has called on the Minister for Health and HSE to clarify why tomorrow’s scheduled vaccination of frontline staff at Bantry General Hospital was cancelled.
She said she has heard conflicting reports as to why the vaccinations were postposed until next week. ‘Whatever the reason, it is deeply disturbing to learn that we are running into problems with the rollout of the vaccine so early into the programme,’ she told The Southern Star.
‘Staff that were booked in to be vaccinated tomorrow have now been told that their appointments will be rescheduled for next week. This is a matter of utmost urgency as many staff at the hospital are already out of work after contracting Covid-19 or are restricting their movements due to being a close contact of a confirmed case.
‘We owe it to our frontline healthcare workers to protect them from this virus and I will be seeking a full report on this unacceptable situation from the Minister and HSE as a matter of urgency,’ she added.
Later this evening, the deputy added: 'I welcome the update I received from the HSE this evening confirming that vaccines will commence on Monday in Bantry General Hospital. I will be following up with the HSE to monitor the situation in Bantry and the rest of West Cork.'
