Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 21 July 2020

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response

Covid-19: Infection Rate among Healthcare Workers (Resumed)

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

What I am putting to the witnesses is what was said to us this morning by the trade unions that represent those staff. They said that their staff were told not to wear masks and that in a number of incidences, members of staff were disciplined for doing so. We can argue about the timeframes but what we have heard from the previous witness is that a decision was made by NPHET whereby it was not the case that front-line staff should wear masks. That advice was changed, we all accept that, but I am trying to get an answer as to why that decision was made. That has been dealt with.

I want to move on to the next issue because it is an important one. I ask Mr. Woods to answer this question. A survey was conducted by the INMO of the impact Covid has had on front-line staff. Much of that impact relates to fatigue, while some of them experienced nausea, breathing and respiratory problems and headaches. Mental health was also a huge issue. The term used by the representative from the INMO was "post-traumatic stress", which is a big challenge for those front-line workers. What practical supports are being considered by the HSE and the Department to support all those front-line workers who went through a huge trauma while trying to deal with this virus? In some cases, they watched people die, saw their colleagues contract the virus and worried about contracting, or did contract, the virus themselves.

For those who did contract it, and all of the stresses they are now under, what practical supports is the HSE looking to put in place?

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