An outbreak of the winter vomiting virus has placed a severe strain on a number of Dublin hospitals which have had to close at least 10 wards to new admissions and postpone major surgery, including kidney transplants.
St Vincent's Hospital is worst affected. Six wards there are occupied by patients with the bug and as a result no new patients can be admitted to them.
This has had a knock-on effect on waiting times for admission to its accident and emergency department. As a result the hospital went off call for several hours yesterday and ambulances were diverted to A&E departments in other hospitals in the city.
St James's and Beaumont hospitals also have patients with the winter vomiting bug. Three wards are affected, putting them off limits to new patients in St James's, and one ward is affected and closed to new admissions in Beaumont.
It emerged yesterday that Beaumont Hospital had to postpone two kidney transplant operations last week after the intensive care unit in the hospital was hit with the highly contagious bug.
However, a spokesman for the hospital confirmed yesterday that kidney transplant operations had recommenced.
In an attempt to control the spread of the virus and to keep it out of hospitals, the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) yesterday appealed to people who feel they may have contracted the bug to contact their family doctor in the first instance rather than visiting hospital A&E departments.
"By unnecessarily visiting A&E departments they risk spreading the infection to patients and staff in the A&E departments and in the hospitals generally," a spokeswoman said.
Furthermore, the ERHA advised people who believed they had the virus to stay at home, drink plenty of fluids and limit contact with others. "There is no specific treatment for the illness and as it is viral, antibiotics have no effect," it said.
People should not return to work or school for 48 hours after the symptoms pass. Symptoms include vomiting, which can have a sudden onset, diarrhoea, and a general feeling of being unwell.
The illness is usually mild, lasting only about two days. However, among the elderly or people ill with other conditions, it can be serious.
Earlier this week it was confirmed by the Western Health Board that Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe was also hit by the bug.