Government treatment of healthcare workers with Long Covid ‘disrespectful’ says Sherlock

Labour TD and health spokesperson Marie Sherlock has said that the government’s treatment of healthcare workers with Long Covid is “disrepectful.”

On June 30th, a pandemic-era scheme which gives paid leave to public health sector employees who are suffering from Long COVID will expire, with indications that the government will not extend the scheme.

Sherlock said the government’s attutde to the healthcare workers who worked on the frontlines during the pandemic and contracted Long COVID in the process is “downright disrespectful and degrading.”

The Labour Court has reccommended that the scheme is extended.

Sherlock said “these workers took on enormous personal risk to themselves in service of public health during the Covid emergency. After five years of enduring really debilitating symptoms, the government has effectively told them to get over it.”

“Thankfully the Labour Court has deemed otherwise and it is vital that the government now implements the recommendation immediately to extend the scheme to the end of the year.

The Dublin Central TD said “it is disgraceful that the government has failed to listen and that SIPTU, INMO, FORSA and the IMO were forced to go to the Labour court to pursue this.”

“I have had many health workers express to me their enormous stress and anxiety about how they will pay their bills, mortgages, and look after their families. These are workers who are continuing to experience symptoms including brain fog, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, heart issues, and ongoing aches and pains.”

The Labour TD noted that the scheme has been extended on four previous occasions and questioned why the scheme was being wound down now.

“After four extensions to the special scheme, the government must extend it again to the end of the year and crucially, it must use that time to establish a long-term sustainable support scheme to recognise and support healthcare workers who are experiencing Long Covid.!

She noted “in the context of a 150,000 strong workforce, the 159 workers amount to a tiny share of the overall staff level.”

“It is appalling that high court costs are wracked up by a case that workers felt they needed to take and that time was spent by Department officials fighting trade unions at the Labour court. The government needs to stop wasting money and time on this and ensure sustainable supports are put in place for these workers for as long as they need it.”