The INMO's Galway branch has warned that there is nothing more important than protecting healthcare workers at this time as Covid numbers rise and Galway's public hospitals struggle with ongoing staff deficits.
Anne Burke is Industrial Relations Officer for the INMO HSE West area and says the landscape in acute hospitals is now overcrowded and congested.
She says the recent approval of booster vaccines for frontline healthcare workers is a huge relief as staff continue to deliver vital care in precarious circumstances.
It comes as GUH faces ongoing challenges with 160 nursing posts not filled due to varying forms of leave.
The union adds that the maternity department at UHG is operating with a deficit of 35 due to varying forms of leave.
Anne Burke told Keith Finnegan on Galway Talks staff are the glue that's holding the system together and need all the protection available.
