Acknowledgement to All who supported UHK during recent severe weather
Statement from Mary Fitzgerald General Manager, UHK
Last week was an extraordinary period of cold weather, snow, ice and hazardous road conditions – This impacted all aspects of life and indeed also on the regular day to day operation of University Hospital Kerry.
We want to extend our very heartfelt appreciation and thanks to every single person who supported our hospital during last week. Your acts of kindness played an enormous role in keeping the hospital running as smoothly as possible under such atrocious weather conditions.
In terms of assistance with transport to and from the hospital of our patients and indeed of some staff ……
A particular note of thanks to those voluntary organisations such as the Coastguard, the Civil Defence and the Red Cross. Your selfless acts of kindness will long be remembered by all of those you assisted last week. Special Thanks also to the Army and the National Ambulance Service, Kerry County Council and An Garda Siochánna. When placed were blanketed with snow and compacted with ice, your generosity of time and heart as well as your valiant efforts played an absolutely crucial role in ensuring that the hospital’s services were open and available to those most acutely unwell and vulnerable. And not least in terms of transport, we owe a debt of gratitude to our local taxi company John Crean who went above and beyond, by any measure, to assist UHK in transport of patients, who were unable to travel themselves, both to UHK and home from UHK. Thank you John and team.
In terms of accommodation for staff ….Locally we were extremely fortunate to have a number of nearby hotels [Manor West, The Rose, The Ashe, Benners, Meadowlands and The Grand Hotel] who worked closely with us to make accommodation available for the many many staff who were unable to travel home between shifts. This meant that we were able to maintain our teams of staff to the level required for patient care throughout the hospital.
In terms of additional bed capacity …We collaborate with the Bon Secours here in Tralee on an ongoing basis – Last week again this collaboration was of particular assistance to us in ensuring that patients were transferred to inpatient beds as quickly as they could be made available.
There are very many other local supports for instance our farming community, local volunteers, GPs, and pharmacists throughout the county—thank you for stepping up in countless ways to keep our community safe and supported.
Finally, we recognise and value how incredibly lucky we are here in UHK with teams of most dedicated staff – you are the backbone of everything we do. Despite the winter conditions and the personal sacrifices of leaving your own families behind, you showed up to care for our patients and keep our hospital running.
If I’ve missed anyone, please know that your efforts have not gone unnoticed. Your kindness and dedication have truly made a difference, and on behalf of UHK, I sincerely thank you. Together, we’ve shown the strength and heart of Kerry in the face of adversity.
Thank You All So Very Much !
Mary Fitzgerald General Manager, UHK
