THERE have been more deaths in the month of December in Fermanagh and Omagh relating to Covid-19 than there were in the first wave of the pandemic. Some 14 deaths have been recorded this month, to date, while 11 deaths were recorded during the first wave, the latest figures from the Department of Health, accounting for until 10am yesterday (Wednesday, December 16) reveal. The pressures of the pandemic can be seen across Northern Ireland (NI) as the health service continues to operate above capacity to cope with annual Winter pressures in tandem with the impact of Covid-19. Annual seasonal pressures, coupled with the Covid-19 crisis, now sees the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) running at 15.57% over bed capacity, with 13.77% of beds in the SWAH occupied by Covid-19 patients.
A Co Tyrone dad, who delivered his newborn baby son in a car park on the coldest night of the year, has praised a young paramedic who talked him through the birth over the phone while on her very first night shift.
Declan Molloy (34) and his wife Gemma-Louise (36), from outside Ballygawley, dramatically welcomed their third child, Leo, into the world on the roadside in the early hours of Sunday morning.
They were making their way to the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen when Gemma realised they were not going to arrive in time and told Declan to ring 999.
On the other end of the phone assisting them was newly qualified Laura Maxwell who had picked up their urgent call in the Ambulance Service’s Emergency Control Room after they pulled up outside Fivemiletown Mart in thick freezing fog and temperatures of -4C.