A nurse from Carrickmacross who suffers from long COVID says the HSE's treatment of her situation has left her in serious financial difficulty.
Finola O'Brien, who worked as a nurse in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, contracted COVID in early 2022. During the pandemic, any healthcare worker who contracted COVID and who couldn't avail of special leave with pay were granted general sick leave with pay. However, due to poor timing, Finola was denied general sick leave with pay, which she would have been entitled to had she contracted the disease 84 days earlier. She has since been medically retired from her profession. Still suffering with the effects of Long COVID, the Carrickmacross nurse believes she is the only nurse nationwide who is in this situation
Speaking to the Joe Finnegan Show this morning, she says the disease is still majorly affecting her life, both physically and financially.
"The impact of COVID on me has me thinking what is it going to be like? Will I be able to live independently? What will it look like? What is it going to cost me? I'm a divorcee living on my own so all these concerns, which I know have nothing to do with COVID, but the fact that I now have been medically retired because I don't qualify for the pay, I'm on a reduced pension. I wasn't able to contribute to my pension and all this has impacted me financially".
