'An absolute privilege' - Vaccine roll out started at MRH Mullingar

(Above) Professor Murat Kirca (clinical director) getting the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccination from Emma Lally (clinical nurse manager) at Mullingar Hospital.

The first member of staff to receive the Covid-19 vaccine at the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar has described it as "an absolute privilege”.

Clinical director Dr Murat Kirca made a little piece of history a short time ago when he became the first of the hospital's 1,100 staff to receive the vaccine. Over the next four days, the rest of his colleagues will also receive the first round of the vaccine.

When asked by the Westmeath Examiner how he felt about being the first member of staff at the hospital to receive the vaccine, Dr Kirca said that it was “an absolute privilege”.

“It is certainly a piece of history for us here in the hospital. Our staff has been working relentlessly throughout the pandemic. It is quite the undertaking to get it [the vaccination programme] organised and we are doing in on Saturday and Sunday starting at 7am and going until 10pm to get everybody associated with the hospital vaccinated.

"We are really excited and it is finally a light at the end of a dark tunnel.”

Dr Kirca added that the timing of the rollout of the vaccine is “huge” for staff morale.

“I have to commend our staff. They have been great throughout each and every wave, going back to the first wave in February and March and the second one in October.

"It has definitely been a difficult and challenging time for all of our members of staff here at the hospital.

“It is a big boost to them and and the uptake is great. We haven't completed the full list yet but so far the uptake is over 95 per cent.

"Everybody is delighted to get it and feels, of course, privileged to be one of the first in the country to get it,” he said.