There was widespread anger in Drogheda today as it emerged that the HSE has asked a private company to open a PCR and Antigen testing Centre in Dundalk for which the company is looking to recruit 40 local staff.
The company, GoSafe48, is seeking applications via email for the 40 posts which include a range of roles in administration and swabbing on careers@gosafe48.ie
“Unfortunately, all indicators are that there will be a real need to scale up testing over the coming weeks, so we have been requested to support the HSE’s efforts in defeating this virus and are setting up three centres on their behalf.
“Over the past year we have been successful in recruiting excellent staff for our PCR and Rapid Antigen testing Centres in Dublin and look forward to doing the same in Louth as we expand nationwide” said GoSafe48 CEO, Maggie Malone.
It seems that the HSE and the Government have been oblivious to the calls from local representatives for a centre to be located in Drogheda and this request for staffing another centre in Dundalk has angered many people in Drogheda.
Dundalk already has a test centre and many people, those without their own transport or perhaps unemployed or elderly and infirm are experiencing difficulty travelling to Dundalk for testing.
A survey carried out by Labour Deputy Ged Nash for a full-time COVID-19 testing centre for Drogheda, attracted thousands of signatures and he also raised the issue with the Tánaiste Leo Varadkar who agreed to notify the HSE on the need for a permanent vaccination centre for Drogheda.
“As Ireland’s largest town and a place that has struggled with high infection numbers throughout the pandemic, it is scandalous that this is not already in place but together we will keep the pressure on” he said.
Today another local Deputy, Fergus O’Dowd, wrote to Paul Reid the Chief Executive of the HSE about the lack of both a Covid Test Centre and a Vaccination Centre in what is the largest town in Ireland with one of the largest hinterland populations in the country.
“The metrics that are used to roll out such largescale testing and vaccination programmes are to provide services in areas of the highest population which seems to be completely neglected when it comes to decisions on this matter” O’Dowd pointed out.
“The residents in the area which encompass upwards of 80k people in Drogheda and East Meath are absolutely furious that services have not been provided even at a time where we have unfortunately had one of the highest number of confirmed covid cases in the country.
“This morning I have learned that the HSE has instructed the advertisement of 40 roles in order to open a test centre in Dundalk which is excellent news for Dundalk but this again shows an a complete neglect of Drogheda’s urgent requirements.”
