Sir, – The confusion and politics around Covid-related restrictions is deeply unsettling, as the country faces into uncertainties about the future trajectory of the virus, with all of the knock-on effects on civil society and the economy.
I recently contracted Covid and was hospitalised for almost a month in St Vincent’s in Dublin. For some people, the illness passes relatively quickly. For others, including myself, it is a different experience.
I left hospital with a profound sense of gratitude – and with a question. The really hard work of engaging with Covid happens behind hospital doors: in the team meetings of consultants and senior staff, as test results are evaluated; at the nurses’ stations which deliver expert and empathic care, engaging with patients and, let’s not forget, their families; in rehab and GP clinics, and in managing research that is fundamental to the future efficacy of treating the virus on the island.
As a process, it is calm, focussed and seamless. So why does the politics of healthcare seem so very different?
When you have been supported by medical, nursing and allied professionals through isolation and the struggles of early recovery, believe me, you wonder about these things. Just a thought. – Yours, etc,
RAY KINSELLA,
Co Wicklow.