Local minor injury units are preparing for an influx of patients as the hospital overcrowding crisis continues.
Waiting lists at Emergency Departments have been reaching their highest ever level and local and national hospitals.
The Minister for Health and the HSE have advised the public to attend Minor Injury Units, GP services and pharmacies before attending EDs.
Minor Injury units such as those in Roscommon and Mullingar, deal with minor to moderate injuries including broken bones, cuts, scalds and burns.
Manager of Roscommon Hospital, Mary Garvey, is warning those who attend Emergency Departments with such injuries will face a significant wait to be seen, in comparison to quicker treatment times at the injury units.
Speaking to Shannonside FM news, the senior hospital official says that staff and resources have been put in place to manage the expected increase in patients.
"We're well staffed and our radiology department is well staffed so there's no issue there. We'll be able to see and treat everyone who comes in so people may be waiting slightly longer but there's no issue, we definitely have enough staff to treat any expected influx of patients. It's a short waiting time really when you consider the alternatives".
