According to a Clare TD, it is “worrying” that the government has failed to significantly expand the country’s ICU capacity in the lead up to winter, adding that the government could not use the pressure as an excuse for lockdown.
Independent TD Michael McNamara made the remarks earlier today during an interview with Newstalk’s Ciara Kelly.
“I agree…that the health service is not under pressure now, but I fear that it will come under pressure in this winter,” said McNamara.
“So I think that we do need to continue to build up capacity in our healthcare system. Notwithstanding the huge sums of money that have been spent in Ireland since this pandemic first arrived on our shores, there’s been relatively little increased capacity in our healthcare system.”
He added that only 19 additional critical care beds were added in the past 12 months – in September 2020 the country had 278, and that has only been increased by 297 by August of 2021.
Only 19 additional critical care beds have been developed during the past 12 months (278 in Sep 2020, 297 in Aug 2021). Given the expected demand on our health system this winter, the failure to substantially increase capacity is worrying. pic.twitter.com/Z60VQaseVb
— Michael McNamara TD (@MlMcNamaraTD) August 30, 2021
“Even if it doesn’t come under pressure from covid – though I fear it will – it comes under pressure every year from a variety of respiratory viruses. So I do think that there will be considerable pressure on our healthcare system again this winter, and I fear that we haven’t done enough to build up capacity.”
McNamara went on to say that a lockdown should be ruled out as a potential response if there was pressure on the HSE.
“The response to the healthcare system coming under pressure cannot be a lockdown,” he said.
“Our healthcare system has been coming under pressure every winter since cuts in the ‘80s at the very earliest, if it wasn’t under pressure before then, and we have never responded with a lockdown.
“Now we have this relatively easy mechanism of saying “oh, we have to lockdown because our healthcare is under pressure,” even if it’s not from Covid. And I don’t think that that’s a valid societal choice.”
When asked if he was in favour of easing all restrictions, McNamara replied that he did.
“I do, because they’re not sustainable for a protracted period of time,” he said.
“At some point people are going to have to adhere to guidelines and be encouraged to adhere to guidelines, but take risks that they think are commensurate with themselves.
“There will be people who don’t feel comfortable going to theatres, people who don’t feel comfortable going to bars. But nobody is dragging anybody into bars, nobody is dragging anybody into theatres. People are going to have to start taking informed risks.”
The Deputy added: “We don’t have the police force, and frankly I’m glad we don’t have the type of system where we can control every facet of people’s lives in this state. That’s not how we operate as a society, and that’s not a healthy way to operate as a society.
“People at the end of the day make choices for themselves and their families – that’s the way our society has operated up to now, and it’s the way I’d like to see us continue.”