30 Bons doctors reject Covid-19 battle plans
THIRTY private hospital consultants at the Bon Secours in Tralee have rejected contract proposals for them to join the public healthcare system at University Hospital Kerry in the war against the deadly coronavirus.
This comes as a major setback for health bosses who have been scaling up preparations at UHK to deal with the expected surge in the number of seriously-ill virus patients.
One well-informed source said: “This is a catastrophe right now.”
What happened in Kerry this week
There was a very special delivery for Tralee woman Ann O’Mahony as she became one of the first Kerry’s Eye readers to avail of a free service that will see her favourite newspaper delivered direct to her doorstep every week
It was a truly special and historic occasion for Margaret Neenan on Wednesday as the Abbeydorney woman celebrated her 100th birthday, and in doing so Margaret followed in the footsteps of her late husband John, who lived to be almost 103.
UHK Emergency Department nurse Margaret O’Callaghan insists it’s the public who are the real heroes in the battle against coronavirus, and said that the crisis has united the country.
There might be a worldwide shortage of PPE but that hasn’t stopped one teacher from Tralee’s Coláiste Gleann Lí in his efforts to equip our frontline in the fight against the Coronavirus.
Holiday home owners heading for Kerry this weekend are being warned they could face fines of €2,500 and up to six months in prison - for failing to adhere to public health guidelines during the Covid-19 crisis.
Brave Pádraig Beasley knows all about social distancing - the nine-year-old has been in a form of lockdown for almost four years since being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Now Pádraig has issued a message to the nation to try and help stop the spread of coronavirus.
‘The public are real heroes’
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL KERRY Emergency Department nurse Margaret O’Callaghan insists it’s the public who are the real heroes in the battle against coronavirus, not healthcare workers.
Having seen firsthand the serious impact the coronavirus pandemic is having on families, Ms O’Callaghan said frontline healthcare workers fear what may be coming down the line.
She told Kerry’s Eye: “It is very strange, it is a very different work environment - I have never seen anything like this before.”
“In the Emergency Department, we are ready for anything everyday - but with the coronavirus, we are still learning how to deal with it.”
‘Stay away from your holiday homes!’
Holiday home owners heading for Kerry this weekend could face fines of €2,500 and up to six months in prison - for failing to adhere to public health guidelines during the Covid-19 crisis.
In an unprecedented appeal, chief executive of Kerry County Council Moira Murrell appealed to people not to travel to Kerry, which she said ‘runs contrary to every fibre in our being’.
“We are aware of reports of people travelling to holiday homes in recent days. This is not acceptable and is a breach of the very clear and strong guidelines,” she said.
Health Minister Simon Harris has signed off on new garda enforcement powers ahead of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, under which anyone travelling from their primary residence to their holiday home could face arrest and serious sanctions.
‘My life matters too!’
Listowel parents Seamus and Maeve Beasley are delighted to have their son Pádraig (9) home safe and sound after his latest round of chemotherapy treatment in Dublin.
And following his appearance on the RTÉ News with fellow cancer patient Vicky Phelan last week, Pádraig is becoming something of a celebrity - with an appeal to help save lives by staying home and washing hands.
Pádraig has a rare form of cancer called neuroblastoma and since his diagnosis back in 2016, the family’s Clieveragh home has more or less been in lockdown to protect his weakened immune system.
Tralee Soup Kitchen offers home deliveries
Essential services such as the Tralee Soup Kitchen are still operational - founder of the kitchen Collette Price has been keeping the service going with a small team of volunteers.
The soup kitchen is normally a drop-in service for people who are in need of a meal. However, since the Government asked everyone to stay at home, almost two weeks ago, Collette decided to start home deliveries.
“We are delivering to people of all circumstances - some are elderly, some are single parents who can’t leave the home with their children and some are in self-isolation.
Students adapt to remote learning
STUDENTS in Castleisland are adjusting to life outside of the classroom - rising to the challenge of remote learning as the coronavirus threat continues.
Teachers and students at Castleisland Community College are currently giving lessons and learning from home with many students preparing for upcoming exams despite the ongoing unprecedented and difficult time.
These two-way communications are made possible through Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Teams’ app and even YouTube. Both students and teachers are well-versed in how to use the app as the system has been operational in the school for the past number of years.
Asthmatics enduring anxiety over virus
Asthmatics are enduring great worry and anxiety over the coronavirus outbreak, according to Fenit asthmatic and breathing coach Eoin Burns.
Mr Burns urges asthma sufferers to stay at home and strictly self-isolate to protect their health during the current crisis.
Asthma sufferers are said to be at greater risk of being more severely affected by coronavirus, which causes an infection in the respiratory tract resulting in breathing difficulties.
Mr Burns said it is vital that those with underlying conditions follow strict social distancing if they do have to go outside. “There is a lot of worry for everyone at the moment, particularly for those who have a pre-existing condition like asthma or for those over 70,” he said.
Surge in gardening during lockdown
Families across Kerry are rediscovering the joys of working together and growing their own food as they adapt to life under lockdown.
Over the past number of years, Listowel Garden Centre Manager Kerry Brassil has experienced significant growth in demand for vegetable seeds and gardening equipment at their Upper Church Street premises.
But now, she says that demand is surging as people everywhere look to do something productive with their energy and free time.
“People are going mad for gardening, painting and DIY at the moment,” she told Kerry’s Eye on Friday.
SVP ‘busier than ever’ during crisis
The Saint Vincent de Paul in Tralee has never been busier than during the Covid-19 crisis, and is now receiving calls from people who would have never used the service before.
According to SVP’s donation centre manager Junior Locke, fear is one of the major issues the elderly face.
Many of the elderly in communities across the county are ‘afraid to leave the house’, even to collect their weekly pensions, he said.
“We’re now delivering 170 dinners daily and our call centre has never been busier. One man in his seventies was too afraid to leave the house, but we had a conference (a centre) nearby and were able to get to him within a half-an-hour.
Act Together, Protect Each Other
‘Act Together, Protect Each Other’ is the message from the Tralee branch of the Irish Red Cross as they continue to help out in the community in this time of crisis.
Its members say they are committed to helping the people of Kerry during the current pandemic.
“In these uncertain times, we have a team of dedicated volunteers willing to help the people of Kerry,” said PRO Thomas White.
“Our volunteers have been out in the communities promoting our ‘Act Together, Protect Each Other’ leaflet, which has been produced by Irish Red Cross Head Office, the leaflet has been distributed all across Kerry in hopes that as many people can get the necessary information.”
Labour ‘must not’ join the Coalition
Labour Councillor Terry O’Brien has warned that his party should not go into government, despite the coronavirus crisis.
He insists that Labour needs time to rebuild itself, having been decimated in recent years.
The Tralee Councillor publicly pledged his support for the party’s new leader, Deputy Alan Kelly of Tipperary, who this week won the leadership contest in a 54.7% to 45.3% victory over fellow TD Aodhan Ó Ríordáin.
Deputy Kelly has strong connections to Kerry – his wife Regina O’Connor is from Waterville and the family regularly visits and holidays in South Kerry.
Councillor O’Brien – a proven vote-getter who managed to hold on to his council seat despite Labour’s drubbing in 2014 – believes Deputy Kelly offers the best hope of rebuilding the party.
Homeowners paying ‘extra’ for mortgages
The average Kerry mortgage-holder is paying €2,848 in extra mortgage repayments each year by not switching lenders - according to an Irish Mortgage Switching Index.
Managing Director of doddl Martina Hennessy says that her company’s Index looks at the total number of switcher transactions per quarter as a percentage of all home loan transactions, excluding Buy To Let mortgages, to give an accurate picture of how much people are overspending.
The Index highlights the difference between the lowest and highest non-discounted interest rates on the market - and the potential savings available.
“These average savings of €2,848 per annum in Kerry are interest savings and interest adds no value to your mortgage,” she said.