Health boards across the State have made detailed plans to cope with this weekend's two major challenges - the Y2K situation, and the increased demand for emergency services which may arise from the millennium celebrations.
Normal staff levels will be maintained throughout the holiday period in the South Eastern Health Board area, and the board has doubled its ambulance cover from December 30th to January 2nd in anticipation of possible increased demand due to millennium celebrations.
Additional technical staff will also be on duty in the south-east today and tomorrow to deal with any problems which may arise with telephones, gas, water or electricity.
The Western Health Board's regional manager of corporate affairs and population health, Dr Sean Conroy, confirmed that alternative procedures had been developed for use at ward and department level if problems arose over the critical changeover period.
The Eastern Health Board has spent approximately £4.5 million on ensuring all its systems and equipment are Y2K compliant.
"Our staff will be on duty and on call over the millennium period and we have also arranged for suppliers of our equipment to be available should they be required. In addition, contingency plans are in place to deal with unforeseen matters which may arise," communications director Ms Maureen Browne said.
The Southern Health Board says it is concerned about the possibility of bad weather causing an increase in respiratory infections leading to a greater demand for hospital and community services. "Having regard to this, the board's mission will be to secure continuity of all healthcare services over the holiday period," a spokesman said.
Mr Pat Dolan, Y2K co-ordinator with the North Western Health Board, said that plans were in place to cope with a range of possibilities, including a situation which would leave the region without power or telephone lines, as happened during last year's St Stephen's Day storms. Radio equipment normally used to communicate with its ambulance fleet is on loan to Garda stations in Letterkenny and Sligo, as well as to the Army depot at Finner Camp and the fire services so that communication between these agencies and the region's acute hospitals is possible at all times.
In the North Eastern Health Board, the emergency control plan for the region has also been upgraded. "We have done all the checks and balances and are confident that if anything does arise our plans will swing into action," Mr Ray Mitchell, the board's press officer, said.
Several grades of staff in the Midland Health Board area have been rostered to check equipment at acute hospitals and other health centres across the region over the millennium.
Technical staff will work from 8 p.m. today to 8 a.m. tomorrow and will be required to test equipment before and after midnight to ensure it is in working order.
The heads of each department at acute hospitals in Portlaoise, Mullingar and Tullamore will carry out similar checks, and in outlying areas where there are homes for the aged or psychiatric units, staff will work from 10 p.m. on December 31st to 2 a.m. on January 1st, the region's Y2K co-ordinator, Mr Chris Kelly, said.
In the Mid West only 1 per cent of hospital equipment had to be made Y2K compliant. Additional staff have been rostered to work on ambulances and in accident and emergency departments of the main hospitals in Limerick, Ennis and Nenagh.
All health authorities point out that unnecessary visits to hospital casualty departments cause delays and frustration and say many people could be treated as effectively and much faster by their family doctor. They urge the public to consider this before attending casualty departments.