Surgeries postponed at Letterkenny University Hospital amid Covid outbreak
Ten wards at the hospital have been closed due to the outbreak
Surgeries have been postponed at Letterkenny University Hospital as it deals with a Covid-19 outbreak and emergency department pressure.
Ten wards at the hospital have been closed due to the outbreak, management said on Thursday.
Seventy-four confirmed Covid-19 cases were being treated at the hospital on Wednesday night, the second-highest figure in the country. One of the cases was being treated in intensive care.
Hospital management said the emergency department is very busy and people are experiencing long waiting times on trolleys before being admitted to a ward.
The ongoing pressure on bed availability has led to a number of elective procedures being postponed.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation said 37 admitted patients were waiting for beds at the hospital on Thursday morning, a decrease of nine on Wednesday.
Access to visiting has been limited since last Friday to compassionate grounds only. The visits should be arranged in advance with the nurse manager on the ward.
The Saolta Hospital Group, which manages the hospital, said in a statement: “The hospital acknowledges that delays in the emergency department and postponing procedures are very difficult for patients and their families and would like to apologise for the inconvenience and distress these delays cause.”