The Health Minister says no private school should have received vaccines from a private hospital.
Stephen Donnelly was responding the Beacon Hospital's decision to give left over vaccines to people not on the priority list.
No private school should have received vaccines from a private hospital. The protocols are crystal clear on having a backup list of people available from the priority cohorts. We are prioritising our most vulnerable right now, as it should be.
— Stephen Donnelly (@DonnellyStephen) March 26, 2021
The private hospital says 200 vaccines were left over and, after liaising with the HSE to vaccinate additional staff, 20 doses still remained.
A decision was then made to give the vaccine to 20 teachers and staff from St Gerards, a private school in Co. Wicklow.
The children of the hospital's CEO attend the fee-paying school.
Creche workers at the Beacon were also administered left over vaccines.
💉 Statement from the Beacon Hospital
Decision to give the vaccine to private school teachers in another county was made because of "time pressure". pic.twitter.com/Yu3eSrp6pX
— Ben Finnegan (@_BenFinnegan) March 26, 2021
The facility's since apologised for distributing vaccines outside the HSE's sequencing guidelines.
HSE Bosses "Extremely Annoyed" By Decision
Meanwhile, some of the HSE's top officers have expressed their frustration at the Beacon's decision.
Chief Clinical officer said Dr Colm Henry said the priority list must be adhered to.
"Whatever the difficulties people have... hospitals must keep a reserve lists and adhere to the hierarchy."
Chief Executive of the HSE CEO Paul Reid said he's "extremely annoyed" by the Beacon's actions.
Labour leader @alankellylabour has called for the resignation of the CEO of the Beacon Hospital
"It’s beyond belief that the CEO thought this type of behaviour would be appropriate or acceptable and there is now a fundamental question over his judgement."
— Seán Defoe (@SeanDefoe) March 26, 2021
The matter was brought up in the Dáil today, with Labour Leader Alan Kelly calling for the CEO of the Beacon Hospital to resign.
