Flu crisis funded
BY LAURA FRIEL
Six-County Minister for Health Bairbre de Brún has announced a £3.3
million plan to help hospitals cope with the flu epidemic. Last week,
de Brún pledged that money needed to deal with the crisis would be
found. After a five-hour meeting at Stormont, it was announced that
funds had been granted by the Executive to the Department of Health to
deal with the crisis. The health minister said the money would be
spent on opening extra wards and hospital beds, increasing ambulance
services and meeting the cost of drugs prescribed to flu patients.
``This funding will help the health service in managing what has been
described as the greatest pressure on hospital services for decades,''
said de Brún. ``These are exceptional measures for exceptional
circumstances.''
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