NEW YEAR HONOURS FOR MEN AT CENTRE OF BOMB AFTERMATH
New Years Honours for the men at the centre of bomb aftermath.
Accepting OBE on behalf of an excellent team.
DR CLIVE RUSSELL was one of the longest serving consultants at the Tyrone County, when its Accident and Emergency Department, resembled war ravaged zones in the immediate aftermath of the Omagh massacre.
And when he arrived in town almost 20 years ago -the hospital was ironically facing another major crisis -its threatened closure.
But nothing could have prepared him, and the medical and nursing teams, for the disaster which was to unfold that sunny Saturday afternoon in August.
"We had so much help from people who wanted to help. In retrospect we did all the right things - sent patients away to other hospitals as quickly as we could in the best possible condition to receive expert attention on their arrival."
He also recalled the many important international visitors and ambassadors who called at the hospital. And was particularly overwhelmed by the Irish President, Mary McAleese, who impressed many by conversing fluently with a Spanish girl who was injured in the bomb.
Some of the survivors of the bomb still regularly attended the Omagh hospital for occupational therapy and physiotherapy and will continue to do so for a long period of time.
His hope that the local hospital, which had responded with such great strength to the atrocity, will soon have its own multipurpose built Rehabilation Centre, grows even stronger in light of the disaster. The hospital's crammed Physiotherapy department is currently in the process of being moved to more spacious accommodation to the former Camowen Hill Home. And it is here that Dr Russell can visualise the new and much need Rehabilitation Centre being built.
Commenting on his his award Dr Russell said "This is a decent town and it was on that recommendation from my brother that I came to Omagh, I have never regretted the move" said the proud OBE recipient.
Dr Russell, whose ENT medical wife, Judy, was also on hand to give assistance to the injured, said the award was in recognisation of the magnificent way in which Tyrone County Hospital responded commendably to the biggest disaster in its history.
His award was "For Services to the Medical Profession".
Dr Russell said he would be delighted to accept the award on behalf of the "excellent" County team, his proud wife and three grown-up children.
Some of those who died in the bomb and others whom he treated for injuries were his friends. He found the whole ordeal the most distressing of his distinguished career spanning almost two decades at the "County".
"What we did at the County that day was a magnificent team effort and it is nice for the hospital to be remembered in this way, said the doctor Returning to work on the morning after official notification of his award, Dr Russell who has a great love for the Omagh community, found there was little personal change in his working circumstances.
There was still the bed shortage crisis which had developed over the Christmas break posing a major problem - together with his daily busy schedule to get through.
However, he took time out to show our reporter his briefcase crammed with letters and cards of congratulations which he had received on Monday morning.
A flood of phone calls to his home and to work also offered him words of support and congratulations which served as evidence - if evidence was needed - that he was a very popular choice for such an award.
He spoke about the future of the Tyrone County Hospital and the changes it would have to face under the current review of hospital services.
The Chairman of Sperrin Lakeland Health and Social Care Trust, Richard Scott welcomed Dr Russell's award.
"On behalf of the Directors and staff of the Trust, I would like to pay tribute and congratulate Clive on this award, which is well deserved and an acknowledgement of 26 years of service he had made to the medical profession and the Omagh community.
"Whilst the nature of such an award is a wider acknowledgement of Clive's contribution to the Trust's medical services, it is, without doubt, also an acknowledgement of how our emergency services staff, working at Tyrone County and Erne Hospitals and the Omagh Leisure Centre, responded to the tragic and horrific events of 15 August". Continuing Mr Scott said "The award follows a number of other awards bestowed upon members of Trust staff and to Omagh as a community - Dominic Pinto, Consultant Surgeon, was recently awarded a "People of the Year Award", and the Red Cross awarded the Trust and the people of Omagh in recognition for its strength, bravery, selflessness and compassion in such tragic circumstances.
And he added "Our medical, nursing, social services and other emergency services staff worked tirelessly and with determination in the aftermath of the Omagh bomb, and it is this dedication to their profession which shines through at such times of immense pain and grief.
"Health and social care is provided on a multi-professional basis and therefore awards such as these are bestowed as a recognition of the contribution of the wide group of professionals involved. The response by all the emergency personnel assisted by so many "ordinary" people in the Omagh community, has been a great strength that has emerged from this atrocity".
He hoped and prayed that they would never have to encounter such a tragedy again and they could be comforted in the knowledge that staff, together with their colleagues in the ambulance services and from the health and social services across NI would be on hand to provide a professional and selfless service to those in need.
Accepting OBE on behalf of an excellent team.
DR CLIVE RUSSELL was one of the longest serving consultants at the Tyrone County, when its Accident and Emergency Department, resembled war ravaged zones in the immediate aftermath of the Omagh massacre.
And when he arrived in town almost 20 years ago -the hospital was ironically facing another major crisis -its threatened closure.
But nothing could have prepared him, and the medical and nursing teams, for the disaster which was to unfold that sunny Saturday afternoon in August.
"We had so much help from people who wanted to help. In retrospect we did all the right things - sent patients away to other hospitals as quickly as we could in the best possible condition to receive expert attention on their arrival."
He also recalled the many important international visitors and ambassadors who called at the hospital. And was particularly overwhelmed by the Irish President, Mary McAleese, who impressed many by conversing fluently with a Spanish girl who was injured in the bomb.
Some of the survivors of the bomb still regularly attended the Omagh hospital for occupational therapy and physiotherapy and will continue to do so for a long period of time.
His hope that the local hospital, which had responded with such great strength to the atrocity, will soon have its own multipurpose built Rehabilation Centre, grows even stronger in light of the disaster. The hospital's crammed Physiotherapy department is currently in the process of being moved to more spacious accommodation to the former Camowen Hill Home. And it is here that Dr Russell can visualise the new and much need Rehabilitation Centre being built.
Commenting on his his award Dr Russell said "This is a decent town and it was on that recommendation from my brother that I came to Omagh, I have never regretted the move" said the proud OBE recipient.
Dr Russell, whose ENT medical wife, Judy, was also on hand to give assistance to the injured, said the award was in recognisation of the magnificent way in which Tyrone County Hospital responded commendably to the biggest disaster in its history.
His award was "For Services to the Medical Profession".
Dr Russell said he would be delighted to accept the award on behalf of the "excellent" County team, his proud wife and three grown-up children.
Some of those who died in the bomb and others whom he treated for injuries were his friends. He found the whole ordeal the most distressing of his distinguished career spanning almost two decades at the "County".
"What we did at the County that day was a magnificent team effort and it is nice for the hospital to be remembered in this way, said the doctor Returning to work on the morning after official notification of his award, Dr Russell who has a great love for the Omagh community, found there was little personal change in his working circumstances.
There was still the bed shortage crisis which had developed over the Christmas break posing a major problem - together with his daily busy schedule to get through.
However, he took time out to show our reporter his briefcase crammed with letters and cards of congratulations which he had received on Monday morning.
A flood of phone calls to his home and to work also offered him words of support and congratulations which served as evidence - if evidence was needed - that he was a very popular choice for such an award.
He spoke about the future of the Tyrone County Hospital and the changes it would have to face under the current review of hospital services.
The Chairman of Sperrin Lakeland Health and Social Care Trust, Richard Scott welcomed Dr Russell's award.
"On behalf of the Directors and staff of the Trust, I would like to pay tribute and congratulate Clive on this award, which is well deserved and an acknowledgement of 26 years of service he had made to the medical profession and the Omagh community.
"Whilst the nature of such an award is a wider acknowledgement of Clive's contribution to the Trust's medical services, it is, without doubt, also an acknowledgement of how our emergency services staff, working at Tyrone County and Erne Hospitals and the Omagh Leisure Centre, responded to the tragic and horrific events of 15 August". Continuing Mr Scott said "The award follows a number of other awards bestowed upon members of Trust staff and to Omagh as a community - Dominic Pinto, Consultant Surgeon, was recently awarded a "People of the Year Award", and the Red Cross awarded the Trust and the people of Omagh in recognition for its strength, bravery, selflessness and compassion in such tragic circumstances.
And he added "Our medical, nursing, social services and other emergency services staff worked tirelessly and with determination in the aftermath of the Omagh bomb, and it is this dedication to their profession which shines through at such times of immense pain and grief.
"Health and social care is provided on a multi-professional basis and therefore awards such as these are bestowed as a recognition of the contribution of the wide group of professionals involved. The response by all the emergency personnel assisted by so many "ordinary" people in the Omagh community, has been a great strength that has emerged from this atrocity".
He hoped and prayed that they would never have to encounter such a tragedy again and they could be comforted in the knowledge that staff, together with their colleagues in the ambulance services and from the health and social services across NI would be on hand to provide a professional and selfless service to those in need.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/0707
Published Date: 07-Jan-99
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