Three elderly Ukrainians with complex medical needs say they are struggling to access healthcare following an accommodation transfer from Youghal to Dundalk.
The three adults in their 70s speak very little English and say they feel “humiliated” and “exhausted” trying to access healthcare in Co Louth.
They were among 400 Ukrainians transferred from the Quality Hotel in Youghal, Co Cork, to alternative accommodation in counties Louth, Cork, Kerry and Waterford in August.
Olga (73), her husband Boris (73) and her sister Irina (79)* fled Ukraine in March 2022. “We thought we were leaving Kyiv for two weeks and we’re still here,” said Olga through an interpreter. “As soon as there’s news of a truce we will return. That is our only dream.”
Olga, who is diabetic, had her right leg amputated before the war and is losing her eyesight. Her sister Irina requires a knee replacement and has cataracts. Olga’s husband Boris is also losing his sight.
Olga was linked up with a hospital in Cork where she received a new prosthetic leg and was examined every two to three months. She has undergone five surgeries in Cork and requires regular injections. Irina recently underwent surgery on her eye and Boris is awaiting a date for cataract surgery.
They are among the 15,153 Ukrainians over the age of 65 who have come to Ireland since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. A total of 80,031 Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection are currently living in Ireland, according to the Central Statistics Office.
The trio, who were very reluctant to leave their healthcare network in Cork, say they were offered alternative accommodation at the Cork Airport Hotel on August 1st. However, they refused the offer because they say the nearest bus stop was a 2km walk from the hotel and there was no access to a kitchen where they could prepare food for a diabetic. As a result, the family missed the bus transporting residents to Dundalk and say they paid €600 for a taxi to Co Louth.
“You can’t imagine the humiliation of that moment, we had to leave in tears. Ireland has been so great to us before now and people have helped us so much. I don’t understand why they treat us now with so little attention to our age and disabilities.”
Five weeks on, the family remain unclear where, and when, they will receive medical care. They are awaiting news from hospitals in Drogheda and Dublin. They have already returned to Cork twice for a prosthetics appointment and cataract surgery. The married couple and sister are also now sharing a room.
Brian Killoran, national co-ordinator of the Ukraine Civil Society Forum, said the Ukrainian accommodation transfers had improved slightly in recent months but that the process remains “fragmented”. “The system is very problematic when someone is highly vulnerable.”
A Department of Justice spokesman said serious health cases were dealt with “in advance of relocations, with priority given to the cases with the most complex medical needs”. Where possible, those considered medically vulnerable will be relocated within the same local health area to protect “wraparound HSE supports” and “’minimise disruption”, he said.
*The family requested only first names be used for privacy reasons