Paul Murphy urges funding to save Tala long Covid clinic
Paul Murphy detailed Pete Brennan's severe Covid experience and ongoing long Covid symptoms, and urged intervention to secure long-term funding for the Tala long Covid clinic. He asked that the clinic be preserved and that long-term funding form part of expanding a nationwide network of long Covid clinics.
Patient's experience
Paul Murphy described meeting Pete Brennan from Kingswood in Tala. Pete caught Covid late last year, was treated at Tala Hospital, spent time in ICU and was in a coma for three months. He survived against the odds but now lives with long Covid symptoms including brain fog, post-traumatic stress disorder and breathing difficulties.
Clinic care and its importance
Pete continues to rely on regular support from the long Covid clinic run by Professor Donnelly at Tala Hospital. Paul Murphy emphasised that the clinic's support is "essential, absolutely essential" to Pete's current care and recovery.
Funding deadline and local campaign
Paul Murphy reported that the clinic has been told its funding runs out at the end of February and has been told to prepare for the worst. Pete Brennan is campaigning to save the Tala long Covid clinic, and Paul Murphy urged intervention to secure the necessary long-term funding.
Government response in the Chamber
A minister responding in the Chamber acknowledged Pete's survival and ongoing symptoms, described long Covid as a new post-viral syndrome that requires further learning, and said he did not know the details of the Tala clinic. The minister said the matter would be raised at the meeting of the Cabinet Subcommittee on Health this afternoon and would be brought to the attention of the Minister.
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I spent the morning with Pete Brennan from Kingswood in Tala. He caught Covid at the end of last year. He went to Tala Hospital. He ended up in ICU and then in a coma for three months. It's a really terrifying story. His family were told to prepare for the worst, but he managed to recover, defying the odds. Like tens of thousands of others in this country, he's now suffering from long Covid. He described his brain fog, his post-traumatic stress disorder and his difficulty at breathing. He still needs regular support, which he gets and which he describes as essential, absolutely essential for where he's at now, from the long Covid clinic run by Professor Donnelly in Tala Hospital. However, Pete and Professor Donnelly have been told that their funding runs out at the end of February and the clinic has been told to prepare for the worst. Pete, again, is fighting back. He's campaigning to save Tala's long Covid clinic. So, I'm asking you to intervene to ensure that the clinic gets the long-term funding that it needs, as part of expanding a nationwide network of long Covid clinics to have the capacity and expertise to deal with what is going to be a growing challenge. Thanks very much, Deputy, and thanks for sharing Pete's story here in the Chamber today. I'm glad that he has survived Covid, but obviously very sorry to hear that he's still experiencing the long-term effects of Covid and it's a post-viral syndrome that's new. We're still learning about it. It's a new virus and this is a new post-viral syndrome and we have a lot to still learn about, diagnosing it and treating it. I don't know the details in relation to the particular clinic that you mentioned in Tala, but there is a meeting of the Cabinet Subcommittee on Health this afternoon, so I'll certainly make sure it's mentioned then and brought to the attention of the Minister. Thank you. Deputy Michael Collins. Thank you.
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