Mullingar Hospital at 'surge' capacity

The Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar is at surge capacity, but is "managing" by opening a "third ICU".

"We've had a busy last 10 -14 days. There's a big increase in the volume of patients presenting with Covid-19," Dr Mark Sheehy, Consultant in Respiratory Medicine at the Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar.

"We've had patients needing advanced respiratory support in their twenties, thirties, forties and fifties.

"This has caused problems logistically in the hospital. We have filled our usual ICU capacity with Covid-19 patients.

"We've had to open up a second surge ICU for non-Covid patient illnesses. And just this morning we've had to open up a third ICU for Covid-related intensive care," he told RTÉ News on Tuesday.

There are now 330 ICU beds open in hospitals nationwide, the highest ever in the system.

Frontline staff are appealing to the public to stick to the guidelines as they deal with patients who are "sicker" and "younger" in this third wave.