A local TD says waiting lists for specialist therapies in the region are already too high.
More than half of HSE staff redeployed into covid testing and tracing were from the midlands.
167 people working in primary care and core therapy and clinical areas were deployed - 100 of whom are from Laois, Offaly, Westmeath, Longford, Louth and Meath.
Fine Gael's Charlie Flanagan says waiting lists for Speech & Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Assessment of Needs are already very high.
The Laois-Offaly TD has written to the Health Minister and the chief executive of the HSE about accelerating the recruitment of staff for covid-specific jobs and for redeployed staff to return to their core duties:
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