Athlone Town Mayor, Cllr. Aengus O’Rourke, has lauded the work ethos of former Chief Medical Officer (CMO ), Dr Tony Holohan, as he departed his post last week to care for his ill wife.
“On Thursday last, Dr Holohan made an emotional statement at the end of his evening’s National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET ) press briefing.
“Dr Holohan’s wife Emer, he revealed, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer in 2012. Emer has been seriously ill throughout the crisis and was admitted to palliative care last Saturday week.
“I would like to thank Dr Holohan for his sterling work over recent months. His clear and precise briefings helped people to understand the seriousness of the situation and the risks we faced with the deadly COVID-19 virus.
“Dr Holohan’s calm and reassuring personality helped a nation get to grips with our new responsibilities as individuals and as families. The people trust Dr Holohan and rightly credit him as the one who safely guided us away from a fate much worse.
“Dr Tony Holohan has become a household name. His leadership during the pandemic gave us confidence to stay on track and trust the advice given, knowing that the decisions being made were based on public health advice. We all owe him and his family a great debt of gratitude, and we pray for his wife Emer at this very difficult time,” Cllr. O’Rourke emphasised.
