Gynaecological operations at a major Cork hospital have been postponed as nursing shortages continue.
The South Infirmary, Victoria Hospital, had to postpone 39 operations for people on its waiting lists. All 39 procedures are expected to be rescheduled within the next two weeks.
Nursing shortages have also curtailed elective surgery at the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin. Only one of its two operating theatres is in use for non-urgent surgery.
But the hospital has been training its own nurses in theatre work, and as a result "there is some light that things may return to normal in a month or so", says its master, Mr Peter McKenna.
The hospital has also recruited more part-time people to keep its theatre work going.
Public and private beds have been closed at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, because of the nursing shortages. The hospital has almost 30 nursing vacancies.
Attempts to cover the deficit by employing agency staff and temporary staff, as well as with overtime, have failed to keep all its beds open. In all, 21 public beds and 12 private beds have been closed due to staff shortages.
Perhaps the most dispiriting experience as regards nursing recruitment has been suffered by St Anne's Community Nursing Unit in Clifden, Co Galway.
This is a health board nursing home, and units such as this are increasingly seen as crucial to freeing acute beds in hospitals and reducing waiting lists. But St Anne's has been able to fill only six of its 11 nursing vacancies.
Nurses and other staff are doing what they can to keep services going. With what the Western Health Board describes as "remarkable flexibility" they have kept 33 of the home's 36 places occupied.
Meanwhile, 2,769 people are on hospital waiting lists for cataract surgery, according to figures supplied recently by the Minister for Health and Children, in a response to the Fine Gael TD, Mr Denis Naughten.
pomorain@irish-times.ie Hospital Watch special on ireland.com: http://www.ireland.com/special/hospital