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The Journal
2 days ago
- Health
- The Journal
HSE condemns 'racist abuse and assaults' targeting Indian community in Ireland
THE HEALTH SERVICE EXECUTIVE (HSE) has condemned recent high-profile incidents of 'racist abuse and assaults' against members of Ireland's Indian community and other foreign nationals. In a statement, the HSE said it 'unequivocally condemned' the attacks, adding that it is 'proud of the organisation's diverse workforce, all of whom are critical for provision of services for patients across Ireland.' International workers make up over 15% of the HSE's workforce. Among nurses and midwives, 23% come from India, Africa, and other Asian countries. Earlier this week, Tánaiste Simon Harris described the Indian community's role as a 'positive contribution' to the health service and many other industries. According to the HSE, 'The effective operation of many essential health services in Ireland would be seriously threatened without the support of the many thousands of international staff that work in our hospitals and community services every day.' President Michael D. Higgins also condemned the attacks, calling them 'despicable' and expressing a 'deep sense of gratitude' to the Indian community for all they have added to Ireland. The Indian Embassy in Dublin has advised its citizens to take 'reasonable precautions for their personal security' and to 'avoid deserted areas' following what it described as an increase in physical attacks. Higgins said such incidents are in 'stark contradiction to the values that we as people hold dear.' Advertisement Anne Marie Hoey, Chief People Officer of the HSE, called the attacks 'unacceptable'. People should not be afraid to leave their house or go to work for fear of abuse. 'We are proud of our organisation's diversity and are dependent on all our staff for the delivery of frontline, essential services. Ensuring the safety of all employees and service users is a priority for the HSE. 'This will have a dramatic impact on staff levels and the provision of health services and should be a cause for alarm for people in this country,' Hoey said. She added that counselling and supports are available for staff affected by abuse or attacks. Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) Deputy General Secretary Edward Mathews issued a similar statement last week, saying such attacks 'should not be tolerated.' 'Nearly 35,500 nurses and midwives have come here to work from other parts of the world and provide essential services,' Mathews said. 'We do not want Ireland to be a place where nurses and midwives are afraid to work. Just as importantly, they and their families are rooted in our communities. They should not be afraid to go to and from their workplaces or anywhere else in their communities because of the disgraceful actions of some.' The issue gained attention last month after an Indian man was the victim of an unprovoked attack in Tallaght . A number of other Indian people in Ireland, including a six-year-old girl in Co Waterford , have been victims of separate assaults since then. In one of the most recent assauls, an Indian man was left hospitalised after being attacked by a group of teenagers in Dublin's Fairview Park last weekend. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Examiner
07-08-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Foreign-born nurses and midwives in fear after recent 'horrific' attacks
Distress and worry is spreading among over 35,000 foreign nurses and midwives working in Ireland in the wake of 'horrific attacks' on migrants, a leading Indian nurse has warned. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has now called for zero tolerance of racially motivated abuse of workers. INMO executive council member Varghese Joy came from India to work over 18 years ago. He is 'very worried' by the changing situation and warned that nurses may leave. 'I've been contacted by quite a lot of nurses and midwives, there is quite a serious level of concern now,' he said. He emphasised that nurses might walk to work at 7am or later at night so they are vulnerable when streets are quieter. He added: It's not just Dublin, it's Waterford, Cork, Letterkenny. There is a general mood of fear and concern everywhere, whether it's a big city or in the countryside. An attack on a six-year-old girl in Waterford reported this week by her mother, also a nurse from India, is causing distress, he added. 'With that last incident, there is more upset than fear. To think that kids are being attacked is concerning,' he said. Some 18,464 Indian nurses and midwives worked here last year, Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) data shows. 'There is no way the HSE could function or the private nursing homes if they leave,' he said. "Some nurses that I know are beginning to think about going to Australia." Indian nurses, like Irish nurses, are seen as mobile globally as they are highly trained and speak English among other languages. Last year, some 35,429 nurses and midwives registered to work here had been educated outside of Ireland, according to the NMBI. INMO deputy general secretary Edward Mathews said they play an essential role: They should not be afraid to go to and from their workplaces or anywhere else in their communities because of the disgraceful actions of some. He called for condemnation of 'recent horrific attacks on members of the Indian community' here. 'There must be a robust policing response to racially motivated abuse and attacks,' he said. 'We do not want Ireland to be a place where nurses and midwives are afraid to work.' These workers, mainly women, need more robust protections, he added. 'Everyone should have the right to work in an environment free from abuse or harassment of any kind, and to feel safe in their community,' Mr Matthews said. He also highlighted the broader situation, saying: 'It has never been more important to reject racism.' Just days ago, the Indian embassy in Dublin cautioned: 'All Indian citizens in Ireland are advised to take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially in odd hours.' Mr Matthews pointed to this as worrying. 'It is unacceptable that consular services in Ireland feel the need to issue advisories about travel and personal security at unsociable hours,' he said. 'This should raise alarm bells, this is not the type of country we want to be.'
Irish Examiner
02-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Doctors write to health minister over 'deeply damaging' decision on northwest surgical hub
A group of 170 doctors in Donegal have written to the health minister, saying not awarding a new surgical hub to the county is 'flawed, unjustified, and deeply damaging' for patients. Plans to build surgical hubs nationally were first announced in December 2022, with an 18-month turnaround time predicted. However, so far only one of the six has opened, with funding allocated for hubs in Cork, Waterford, and Limerick. A location for the northwest hub has not yet been named, but it has recently emerged this is likely set for Sligo and not Donegal. Now, GPs and hospital doctors have called on health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill to meet with them and hear the arguments against that decision. Dr Padraig McGuinness said the decision ignores the reality of local geography. 'Donegal has a larger population than the combined areas of Sligo, Leitrim, South Donegal, and Cavan,' he said. Many of our patients would face round trips of five hours or more to access elective surgical care in Sligo. That's unacceptable and dangerous. He added: "This isn't just about a building or a budget line. It's about whether Donegal patients are treated as equals in our health system. Right now, they're not.' Pressures on Letterkenny hospital are a key reason why they need the hub, argued Dr Louise Moran, consultant in intensive care and anaesthetics. "Patients in Donegal already face some of the worst cancer survival rates in the country due to late presentation and access issues,' she warned. 'To bypass Letterkenny again is not only medically indefensible, it's a direct hit on patient safety and regional equality.' Letterkenny is often among the most overcrowded hospitals in the country as recorded by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation. The hubs are seen as a central part of plans to tackle overcrowding. Each is expected to deliver 10,000 day case surgeries and minor procedures, and 18,500 outpatient consultations every year. Plans by the HSE to instead offer Letterkenny an ambulatory care centre for outpatients are seen by this group of doctors as 'an inadequate substitute lacking ring-fenced funding, staffing plans, or timelines.' Consultant general surgeon Michael Sugrue said: 'We need real surgical infrastructure, not vague promises'. He warned of the long-term impact for recruitment at Letterkenny University Hospital. Without adequate surgical resources, we simply cannot attract or retain the consultants we need. "This decision risks the future of general surgery in Donegal and the long-term viability of LUH as a Model 3 hospital,' he said. They called for an evidence-based review of the HSE's plans to locate the hub in Sligo. In April HSE regional executive officer Tony Canavan said a proposal to build a surgical hub linked to Sligo hospital has been submitted. "We've identified a site for it that will be considered by the HSE senior leadership team in mid-May and then to the board of the HSE at the end of May,' he told RTÉ News.
Irish Examiner
12-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Recruitment challenges in Cork and Kerry impacting delivery of health services
Rural health services in Cork and Kerry are struggling to attract nurses due to the housing crisis, with much-needed beds closed as a result. Concern is also growing at shortages of Irish-speaking healthcare staff to support older people in the southwest Gaeltacht areas. Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation industrial relations officer Liam Conway said rural patients are missing out. 'In Kerry in the likes of Cahersiveen, Dingle it's very difficult to get rental accommodation. The same would be seen in the likes of West Cork so housing is a barrier that needs to be addressed.' Staff shortages have led to 'challenges around supply of beds in older persons services' in Kenmare and Cahersiveen. That is impacting on respite care, being able to receive residential care in your community and being able to be discharged from University Hospital Kerry — people can't get transferred back to their locality for the necessary rehab. At the West Kerry Community Hospital in Dingle, 11 beds in a purpose-built module have yet to be used. He described the national recruitment policy – pay and numbers strategy - as 'an own goal'. He also called for restoration of Gaeltacht allowances — 'close to 10% on top of your salary' — removed during the 2008 recession. 'You want to attract staff to the Gaeltacht who can speak the language,' he said. South Kerry is 'particularly challenged' in finding public health nurses, he said. New Sláintecare services including teams for older people known as ICPOP are also struggling. A HSE South-West spokesperson said: 'There are well documented challenges in recruiting staff to some of our facilities in more rural locations. West Kerry Community Hospital's location on a peninsula can make recruitment even more challenging.' They ran multiple hiring campaigns but she said 'unfortunately these recruitment efforts have had limited success'. Kenmare Community Nursing Unit will open seven beds 'in the coming months', she said. New staff have recently started work with recruitment continuing. Read More Low uptake of free HRT scheme raises concern among pharmacists
Irish Examiner
08-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Attack with fire extinguisher, punches, and racist comments among daily assaults on nurses
An assault with a fire extinguisher, punches to the face, fractured bones, and racist comments were some of the fearful attacks described at the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) conference. They warned a survey revealing 11 daily assaults on average last year was still relevant today. One nurse from Monaghan told the conference the hospital did not have any security. 'Last year, one of my colleagues was attacked by a very aggressive patient, and her finger — her ring finger — was bent back and fractured,' she said. 'Another colleague was hit in the face.' Some could not describe their attacks from the podium as investigations are ongoing. Speaking privately, one nurse said she was punched and kicked during a night shift by a man who came into the ward. When she tried to run away, he followed her and 'he took the fire extinguisher and sprayed it on me". A nurse in Dundalk said she was 'battling' with management to improve security, saying: 'We should not have to fear for our safety while at work.' A nurse with the Dublin South-West branch, Ibukun Oyedele, proposed to the conference the HSE bring in 'appropriate security measures' for all health centres. 'Everyone has the right to work in an environment free from abuse or harassment of any kind,' she said. Covid Her colleague, Association of Nigerian Nurses in Ireland vice president Christopher Ibanga, said in his eight years working in Ireland, the situation had worsened. 'I think covid unfortunately could play a role,' he said. 'I work in public health and we were managing covid cases, doing contact tracing. We had a lot of resistance and that resistance has continued even though not as high as during covid. We receive a lot of reports from Nigerian nurses and this abuse gets to another level when the colour of your skin is different. This is something we have to talk about. A nurse in Cashel, Co Tipperary, proposed the HSE should compensate them for abuse. 'The danger money refers to hazardous pay, a compensation to pay employees for working in these hazardous environments,' she said. However, a nurse at University Hospital Limerick cautioned "unsafe practice cannot be compensated with money' and called for change instead. Health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill attended the conference in Wexford, and told reporters there was 'no justification' for abuse. 'There's no reason to assault anybody, but in particular a healthcare worker,' she said. She takes the complaints 'very seriously' she said, adding many patients do not harm staff despite delays they face. 'I recognise there are some hospitals that are much more overcrowded than we would want them to be, and we are trying to increase capacity and trying to change work practices to make that a better environment for everybody,' she said. The INMO found over a 13-month period starting in January 2023, about 11 assaults were reported every day to the HSE. Read More Majority of nurses say staffing levels pose risk to patient safety, INMO survey finds
