Dr Paul (57) was more than family doctor he was a friend
By Maurice Garvey
TRIBUTES have been paid to long-serving Rathfarnham GP Paul McDermott (57), following his death with Covid-19 earlier this month.
Dr McDermott, who treated patients from his surgery on Glendoher Road for more than 20 years, tested positive for the virus after his sudden death at home on January 4.
Dr Paul McDermot’’s brother Ray speaking at his brother’s funeral service
The Irish Times reported that the family are awaiting the result of a postmortem, and said Paul had been treating patients with the disease in the weeks before he died.
Paul’s mother Sarah MacAuley, opened a GP surgery in Rathfarnham in the late 1960s and continued to work alongside her late son until recently, despite being in her 90s.
Hundreds of former patients, colleagues and friends of Dr McDermott paid tribute online to a “kind, loyal, warm, witty and compassionate” person.
Another said “he was more than a family doctor, he was a friend and confidant, irrespective of how busy it was.”
Speaking at the funeral service on January 12, Paul’s brother Ray said Paul was known as ‘polish’ and was someone who loved his family, loved life, Leeds United and loved being a GP.
He said the family plan to have a proper celebration for Paul with family and friends once it is safe to do so.
Paul attended Terenure College, studied medicine in UCD and trained in hospitals in Dublin and Scotland after qualifying in 1990. He worked as a family GP at Rathfarnham Medical Practice since 1999.
Deaths are counted as Covid-19 deaths if confirmed by a positive test or if, in the view of a medical practitioner, the virus played a role in a person’s death.
If his death is officially attributed to Covid-19, it will be the first of a GP in this pandemic.
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