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23 Oct 2025
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23 Oct 2025
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Portlaoise hospital staff on standby.
Intensive care capacity has doubled at Portlaoise hospital while staff space has been reconfigured into isolation wards to cope with demands to deliver critical and lifesaving care to patients who have been infected with the coronavirus Covid-19.
Sandra McCarthy, the director of nursing at the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise, has outlined some of the changes made to cope with the needs of patients with coronavirus who have to be admitted to the Laois hospital.
She tweeted that the Emergency Department staff room and offices have been vacated to create additional isolation facilities.
#ED staff #MRHPortlaoise vacated staff room & staff offices to create additional isolation facilities in #ED thank you all for support with move & HSE estates securing temporary build for new staff area @paulreiddublin @SimonHarrisTD @DMHospitalGroup @HSELive #COVID2019 pic.twitter.com/BBHJDKe2Uj
— Sandra McCarthy (@soomeraghsandra) March 27, 2020
Ms McCarthy also tweeted that ICU capacity has also been doubled.
#MRHPortlaoise #ICU capacity increased by 200% , @SimonHarrisTD @paulreiddublin @DMHospitalGroup @HSELive #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/0dAZZ6aoaH
— Sandra McCarthy (@soomeraghsandra) March 27, 2020
The director of nursing also thanked people who have contributed in a vital way to ensure staff are staff and their morale is lifted during the crisis. The Mountrath Community School Parents Association have donated 120 pairs of protective eyewear and boxes of gloves.
Meanwhile, TKMaxx in Portlaoise has donated easter eggs to ensure spirits remain high through the tough days ahead.
Thank you for this incredible generosity #MRHPortlaoise @DMHospitalGroup @mountrathcs https://t.co/RKugpIfnQt
— Sandra McCarthy (@soomeraghsandra) March 25, 2020
Very greatful to @TKMaxx_ie #Portlaoise for the very thoughtful donation of #EasterEggs and other treats to #MRHPortlaoise healthcare staff, very much appreciated.@HSE_HR @HSELive @DMHospitalGroup #COVID19Ireland pic.twitter.com/TFjzpmPHkP
— Sandra McCarthy (@soomeraghsandra) March 20, 2020
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