Dr. Tony Holohan, the former chief medical officer, shares his perspective on the government’s decisions during the Covid-19 pandemic in his memoir, featured in the Sunday Independent today. His comments highlight the urgent need to evaluate the state’s response to the crisis. Earlier this year, Leo Varadkar announced the establishment of an official inquiry in mid-2023; however, the deadline was missed.
In June, the Taoiseach emphasized the importance of conducting a comprehensive evaluation of Ireland’s handling of Covid-19 to learn valuable lessons. This evaluation would assess the government’s response, the health service’s performance, and the economic and social impact of the pandemic to be better prepared for future similar events. The inquiry’s terms of reference needed to be carefully considered to ensure its focus and avoid the pitfalls encountered by the UK’s Covid-19 inquiry. The government intended to establish the inquiry this year, starting with a scoping exercise.
According to sources from the Sunday Independent, the scoping report is now complete and awaiting review by the Taoiseach and the other coalition leaders. It is expected that the terms of reference will be presented to the Cabinet next month.
The government insists that the inquiry will not solely focus on the public health response but also consider the economic repercussions and the long-term effects of certain decisions like school closures and deferred healthcare. However, key attention must be given to the decisions made during Christmas 2020, as mentioned in Dr. Holohan’s memoir, provocatively titled We Need To Talk.
In his book, Dr. Holohan expresses his confusion and frustration about the high number of Covid-19 deaths in January 2021, considering that the virus’s spread could have been controlled. His criticism extends to the decision to keep pubs and restaurants open during that Christmas period, despite clear advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet). This choice contributed to a resurgence in socialization, resembling pre-pandemic times, which led to a significant loss of life. Dr. Holohan also believes that the government’s slow response at the end of 2020 contributed to the devastating death toll.
The government’s primary objective is to ensure that the official Covid inquiry does not become a blame game or get lost in legal proceedings. However, it should not shy away from scrutinizing the decisions made during Christmas 2020, a period marked by a staggering number of deaths.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
