Denis Naughten has called on Government to ensure all frontline workers who contracted Covid through their employment, and who were subsequently forced out of work due to long Covid symptoms, are able to avail of supports until they are fit to return to work. “At present, 120 frontline healthcare workers with long Covid are availing of a special leave …
May is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis M.E. Awareness Month
M.E. has been described as “an often-debilitating disease” that has a prevalence close to one percent worldwide which would equate to around 52,000 people in Ireland or roughly the population of the county of Waterford (Bonilla, H. et al., 2023) With the number of people with M.E. / CFS on the rise following long-COVID, it is estimated that around 45% …
Dept of Health fails to establish vaccine damage compensation unit despite assurances– Naughten
The Department of Health has failed to establish a separate unit to deal with a vaccine damage compensation scheme, three years after the Minister received a report on the current system for managing claims and four years after the Health Research Board (HRB) carried out an evidence review on such schemes in other jurisdictions, Denis Naughten TD has revealed. Denis …
Up to Health Minister to designate long Covid as occupational illness – Naughten
International Workers’ Memorial Day must be used to ensure income support provided to all frontline workers The decision to designate long Covid as an occupational illness lies with the Department of Health and Minister Donnelly, Denis Naughten TD has stated. “The Secretary General of the Department of Social Protection made it clear to the Oireachtas Committee that the decision on …
Long COVID rates have increased by 4% in four months
Speech by Denis Naughten TD to the Policy Forum for Ireland keynote seminar: Tackling long COVID in Ireland – priorities for services, strategy development, and research On 19th March 2020, I stood up in Dáil Éireann, pointing out that we would have to deal with the public health challenges associated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus for at least 12 months. …
5 months on Health Dept still in talks on designating long COVID as occupational illness – Naughten
Frontline health workers to be left without income support in coming weeks Officials from the Department of Social Protection have admitted they are still engaged in a “back & forth with colleagues in health, teasing out issues” with regard to the designation of long COVID as an occupational illness. This is despite the fact that frontline healthcare workers suffering with …
Roscommon’s empty surgical ward must be included in hospital bed expansion – Naughten
Local TD Denis Naughten has called on the Minister for Health to ensure a surgery ward at Roscommon University Hospital which remains empty, is included in Government plans for 1,500 new hospital beds across the country. “The HSE has issued a tender for 1,500 new hospital beds at 15 sites across the country and it is imperative that the …
Second national poll on long COVID
The most recent survey of the incidents of long COVID in Ireland now shows that one in every ten adults in Ireland have experienced the symptoms of long COVID. You can access the data behind this poll of adults in Ireland on self-reported symptoms of long COVID by leading polling company, Ireland Thinks, which I commissioned. This self-declaration by survey …
New survey shows 10% of adults experienced symptoms of long COVID – Naughten
Potential for burden on the health system due to lack of adequate patient supports for long COVID New data released today has found that 10% of adults have experienced symptoms of long COVID following an initial period of infection with the virus. The data is based on a survey carried out by leading polling company, Ireland Thinks, and was commissioned …
Portiuncula must be included in new hospital bed expansion – Naughten
Local TD Denis Naughten has called on the Minister for Health to ensure a second 50 bed ward block at Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, is included in Government plans for 1,500 new hospital beds across the country. “The HSE has issued a tender for 1,500 new hospital beds at 15 sites across the country and it is imperative that Portiuncula, which …