At least 20 people are being treated as a result of the crash in Limerick on Wednesday morning.
The HSE has warned members of the public to avoid the Emergency Department of University Hospital Limerick “unless absolutely necessary” in the wake of a crash involving a school bus and a car on Wednesday morning.
18 minors and two adults are being treated in the hospital following a crash involving a car and a bus that was transporting students to John the Baptist secondary school in the village of Hospital.
At 9.30am, the resuscitation and paediatric areas of the Emergency Department in University Hospital Limerick had been cleared in anticipation of casualties.
20 casualties – 18 minors and two adults – were on their way from the scene of the accident near Caherconlish. Seven casualties were transported by emergency ambulances and those with less severe injuries were transported to the hospital on intermediate care vehicles and a minibus.
University Hospital Limerick has formed an incident group in response to the accident.
Casualties will be retriaged on arrival at the Emergency Department, while additional surgical teams and nursing staff, including paediatric and trauma nurses, have been assigned to the ED in anticipation of trauma-type injuries.
Both the emergency theatre and trauma theatre are also on standby.
Accelerated discharging of patients is underway for adult and paediatric patients medically fit for discharge. The Caterpillar Day Ward in the Children’s Ark has been designated to receive medical paediatric patients who have been assessed in the ED.
Staff are currently contacting parents of children to reschedule appointments in Day Ward.
While the incident is ongoing, members of the public are urged not to attend the Emergency Department unless absolutely necessary and to visit their GP in the first instance or the Injury Units in St John’s, Ennis and Nenagh hospitals for appropriate injuries.
Injury Units are open in Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Sunday and 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday at St. John’s Hospital. Others with a less serious illness can be treated by their GP or out of hours GP service where their GP can refer them to an Assessment Unit the following day if required.
If members of the public are seriously injured or ill or are worried their life is at risk the ED will assess and treat them as a priority.
Main image via Facebook/University Hospital Limerick
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