Dr Martin Feeley, the only Health Service Executive (HSE) doctor to publicly criticise Covid-19 restrictions, says he has no regrets about his actions, despite losing his job of 45 years. Feeley was dismissed in September 2020 after calling the restrictions “draconian” and arguing that low-risk individuals should have been exposed to the virus. In an interview with The Irish Times, Feeley said that he was “forced” to resign after speaking out against the government’s response to the pandemic, which he feels has not taken into account the costs to people’s quality of life. He also criticised the emphasis on daily case numbers, saying that it caused “deliberate, unforgivable terrorising of the population”.
Feeley had originally thought the restrictions were justified but changed his mind after a few weeks, during which time he had investigated the claims that Dublin’s hospitals were in danger of being overwhelmed. He claimed that there were only eight Covid patients in ICU at the time, which made him believe that the government was “terrorising” the population. Feeley also said that he knew the risks of contracting Covid-19 but didn’t take any precautions because he believed he would survive it.
Feeley was interviewed on television not because he spoke out against the system, but because he was forced to resign. According to Feeley, the Medical Council did not pursue him for his views, unlike other doctors with non-conformist views. He believes that the government’s Covid response needs no review, stating that Ireland has the youngest population in Europe, therefore it should have the lowest death rate.
Feeley argues that the official response “played down” the role of obesity in the pandemic, and that the restrictions have destroyed young people’s lives for no good reason. Feeley thinks that people in charge of the health service don’t care and that everyone’s first priority is themselves and their careers, including doctors. He joined one of the hospital groups thinking that they would take over running the health service and implement efficiencies, but this never happened after the government reversed its policy to abolish the HSE.
The government is expected to officially announce a review of Ireland’s Covid response, but Feeley thinks it is unnecessary. He finally got Covid in December 2021 and compared it to swine flu, which was worse. Feeley’s original contention that Covid was less severe than reported has been cast in a new light since milder variants of the virus have emerged, and most people are thought to have some sort of immunity. Some experts agree with Feeley, while others differ.
