Master of Rotunda Hospital cites low vaccine uptake for restrictions on partner visits

The Master of the Rotunda Hospital has said that a low vaccine uptake among pregnant women is among the reasons for maintaining restrictions around partner visits.

Speaking on today’s RTE Radio Morning Ireland programme, Professor Fergal Malone said 60 per cent of patients and partners “walking around the Rotunda hospital” are not vaccinated.

“It’s not surprising that there’s some vaccine hesitancy,” he said.

“But what that means is 60 per cent of patients and their partners walking around the Rotunda hospital today are not vaccinated and are therefore vulnerable to COVID infection, more likely to transmit.

“If we can get that vaccination number up, we will see it being safe to relax all restrictions. I would encourage every single pregnant woman, please get vaccinated.”

Last week the HSE issued guidance to maternity hospitals saying partners can accompany pregnant women for 12-week scans and caesarean sections.

According to the HSE the aim of the new guidance was to try to return to pre-pandemic visiting rights and that partners who were incorrectly denied entry to hospitals recently had received apologies.

The Rotunda is currently allowing partners to attend early pregnancy scanning up to 12 weeks and anomaly scans, but said it cannot accommodate unrestricted visiting at other times.

Professor Malone explained to Morning Ireland that in certain parts of the hospital there is no ventilation and not enough space to allow large numbers of people to sit together safely.

“If I have eight or nine mothers sitting there and suddenly that’s 16 or 18 adults because they all have a partner with them in a small room that is not ventilated and not capable of being ventilated, that is a very serious risk,” he said.

“If they’re all filled or most of them are filled by patients needing assessment, and I now double that by having their partner with them during that time, it’s just not safe.”