As deadly surge looms, NI Health Minister calls in the Army to help battle coronavirus

The Health Minister told the News Letter that he has signed off on a request for military logistics support in distributing life-saving equipment to hospitals and Army assistance in planning for a possible Nightingale hospital at the former Maze Prison site.

If the extreme measures taken by the NHS prove sufficient over the coming weeks then that facility may be held in reserve for the second wave of the pandemic which is expected later this year and which is concerning some health experts.

The development came as yesterday’s figures showed that 10 more people who had tested positive for Covid-19 had died in hospital, bringing Northern Ireland’s total death toll to 92 – although that does not yet include all deaths in settings such as care homes.

Yesterday Stormont’s ministers came together to urge the public to stay at home this Easter. The GAA, Ulster Rugby and the IFA also came together to urge their supporters to do their bit to help the NHS.

But there was ongoing political controversy, with Stormont on the verge of a £170m deal for protection equipment from China, despite 35% of a recent Dublin delivery being useless. The direct order also is despite concerns it could put NI at odds with a joint UK approach.

Mr Swann told this newspaper that he hoped the military request would not be divisive, repeating his view that the only thing that will divide people in this pandemic is whether they live or die.

Last month Mr Swann, a former leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, made it clear publicly that he would accept any reasonable offer of support, including from the Republic’s armed forces, if it could save lives.

When questions about military assistance were first asked a fortnight ago, Sinn Féin initially declined to say whether it would support such moves.

However, when subsequently asked about the issue, Sinn Féin Finance Minister Conor Murphy said that the party would not oppose any necessary step which could save lives, meaning that there is unlikely to be political dispute about the request.

It is understood that the request does not require approval by the executive but has gone to the NIO which is Northern Ireland’s formal link with central government in Whitehall.

Mr Swann said: “I said at the start of this pandemic that I would turn down no reasonable offer or source of support. I’ve been clear that if I thought the UK military could be of assistance then I would not shy away from requesting it.

“I believe we have now reached that stage. That is why this weekend I have now approved two decisions to activate the Military Aid to Civil Authorities (MACA) process.”

Mr Swann said that he had been involved in discussions with the military this week and that there had been “extensive engagement between my department and the Ministry of Defence”.

The North Antrim MLA said that the MoD and the Armed Forces have “a wealth of talent, expertise and resource that I believe could and should now be utilised to help our collective fight against Covid-19 in Northern Ireland”.

He said: “I believe the army’s skills and logistical expertise could assist with the redistribution of essential life-saving equipment across Northern Ireland to ensure that all hospitals have the materials and resources required to fully enact their surge plans.

“I’ve also decided that the MoD could assist with the possible development of a further temporary Nightingale facility in the event of an extreme surge of Covid-19 patients.”

Mr Swann added: “My number one priority right now is to save lives and protect those of the staff on the front line. I believe the time has now come that the MoD can help me with that.

“I hope the decision is approved and is widely supported. It shouldn’t be considered divisive, especially as I have said a number of times over recent weeks that at the end of this pandemic there will be only one thing that divides us – and that is those of us that are still alive and those that have sadly passed away.”

The Army played a key role in constructing the 4,000-bed Nightingale Hospital in London, turning the ExCel Centre in London into the Nightingale Hospital for the NHS in the space of nine days.

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