SouthDoc is down 40% on the number of doctors it usually has available to run the service.
This is because South African doctors can’t travel to work with the out-of-hours GP service because of COVID-19 related restrictions.
South African GPs usually provide overnight cover across Kerry and Cork for SouthDoc.
On weeknights there are nine such doctors on duty from 11pm onwards; this rises to 12 at weekends, as cover is provided to the Beara, Dingle, and Iveragh peninsulas.
Medical Director of SouthDoc, Dr Gary Stack, says two South African doctors were due to arrive last week, another at the end of December, and a fourth the second week of January.
They’re unable to travel to Ireland because of COVID-19 related restrictions.
Dr Stack says these GPs come for three months at a time, and provide 30 to 40% of SouthDoc’s GP cover; that’s what they’re down at the moment.
He says the HSE has been lobbying the Department of Health to try to address this, but he’s unsure it’ll be done in time.
Kerry Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae is calling on the government to lift these COVID-19 related restrictions.
