MORE than 100 patients at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire may have to be discharged because of the strike by paramedics. The health professionals' union, IMPACT, is only providing one physiotherapist to give emergency cover and therapy is not available for the vast majority of patients.
A similar situation has arisen in other institutions which are dealing like the NRH, mainly withy patients. If the strike continues to the end of this week, many of these will also have to discharge patients.
Elsewhere, outpatient services provided by paramedics at hospitals throughout the State have been cancelled as a result of the dispute.
So far the strike appears to have had little effect on elective admissions to major acute hospitals. These deal mainly with emergency cases, where cover has been agreed with IMPACT. But elective admissions will be progressively curtailed if the dispute is prolonged.
To date there have been few differences between IMPACT and management on the interpretation of emergency cover guidelines agreed in talks before the strike began.
The chief executive of the Mid-Western Health Board, Mr Pat Foley, yesterday expressed appreciation at the level of emergency cover being provided by the strikers.
Apart from the NRH in Dun Laoghaire, the main area of contention appeared to be over child care in the Eastern Health Board area. Over 300 children at risk are accommodated in residential homes in the region.
Agreement on the provision of staff cover at night by social workers was only reached late yesterday evening. Agreement on the provision of an emergency after hours service for homeless children had already been reached.
The Irish Council of People with Disabilities has warned that its members will suffer hardship if the dispute becomes protracted.
The Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, urged IMPACT to reenter talks on the basis of what extra productivity could be negotiated in return for pay rises, rather than on the basis of maintaining parity with nurses. However, IMPACT is unwilling to forgo its pay link as a precondition to further negotiations.
Today the Fianna Fail spokesman on health, Mr Brian Cowen, is expected to raise the issue in the Dail and call on the Minister for Health Mr Noonan, to intervene in the dispute.