Claire Byrne viewers were left shocked after a nursing home worker described the awful scenes she witnessed during the Covid pandemic.
Niamh Brophy joined Claire Byrne Live to describe the ‘tragic’ moments she and her staff were forced to work through. She revealed she is now suffering from PTSD after the distressing time.
Ms Brophy said that 44 residents lost their lives after contracting Covid-19 while under her care.
The nursing home came under extreme pressure during the height of the pandemic, and due to lack of staff, other workers were trained to help. Cleaners, laundry staff, and receptionists were trained to bring residents to the toilet safely. They also had to help feed residents.
Ms Brophy described the horrific scenes they witnessed every day saying; “Bodies were going by you a couple of times a day and even some of the residents who recovered from Covid, they would say ‘why is it that my friend died of Covid and I’m still here, I should have been taken.’
“So you’re trying to deal with that as well from residents who have recovered and should be happy but they’re frightened and they feel guilty so you’re trying to draw them out of themselves.”
Viewers have been commending her bravery, and were also outraged by her story.
One viewer wrote; “Watching #cblive tonight just brought back a wave of emotion of this bloody pandemic and honestly thought I’d have moved on but guess not. Niamh Brophy absolutely amazing.”
Another said; “The role of our health authorities in the horrendous toll of nursing home residents during the covid pandemic in Ireland will need to be the subject of unflinching public scrutiny in the months to come.”
A third viewer suggested; “We need a national public inquiry into deaths of residents in nursing homes. Families need and deserve answers.”
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