More supports needed for nurses with long Covid - INMO

Nurses and midwives who are experiencing long Covid are not getting the medical or employment supports they need, it has been claimed.

According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), over 7,500 nurses and midwives have contracted Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic – this accounts for one-quarter of all virus cases among healthcare workers.

Some of these have experienced long-term Covid symptoms, such as extreme exhaustion, brain fog, breathing difficulties and heart problems.

The INMO is calling for specific measures to be implemented by the Government and employers, including tailored medical supports, a guarantee that healthcare workers with long COVID will not face income cuts, and flexible rehabilitation back into work.

“Long Covid is a condition that takes so much out of people and they’re simply not being treated fairly. We are all looking forward to a time after this pandemic, but we cannot forget those who took great risks to provide care and are being left in the lurch.

“The very least they deserve is long-term certainty about their employment and income rights, and a guarantee of medical care,” commented INMO president, Karen McGowan.

According to INMO general secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha, “people need to know where they stand medically and in terms of work”.

“The HSE needs to lead the charge on this and implement the measures that our members are calling for. This is a condition people are acquiring at work, and their workplaces need to step up and give them the support they need,” she insisted.

The issue was discussed at the INMO Annual Delegate Conference, which was held online.