Covid in Ireland: Hospitals on 'knife edge' amid surging admissions
Aoife O'Brien
There was said to be a "big fear" that hospital admissions would get to a point where intensive care beds needed to be rationed
SAKSO LAZAROV/ROLLINGNEWS.IE
Hospitals are on a "knife edge" and could struggle to cater for the number of people expected to be admitted over the next two weeks, the Social Democrats' co-leader has said.
Róisín Shortall, who is also the party's health spokeswoman, said that the rising numbers of patients requiring intensive care meant that it was uncertain whether the surge capacity could meet the demand that was likely to arise.
Serious concerns have been raised about the ability of the health system to cope with the recent surge in the virus, after it emerged that Ireland had the highest rate of Covid-19 in the world per capita over the past week. As of last night, there were just 12 adult intensive care beds free in Dublin