Please refer to the full text of the highlighted points related to the following summary points.
1 Profile of Jehovah's Witnesses in Ireland:
Jehovah's Witnesses have congregations in several places in Ireland. Many of the congregations are multi-ethnic including Irish (the largest group), African, Brazilian, Chinese, Filipino, Polish and Romanian. (Fulltext of Essential Point 1 in Profile of Jehovah's Witnesses in Ireland)
2 Religious contacts and religious practices:
There are four Hospital Liaison Committees in the Irish State who are available at any time to provide support to a Witness undergoing medical procedures, guidance to the treating team, and to assist/mediate in the event of challenging situations. Patient Visitation Groups are available to visit the person and provide religious support as necessary; they should be contacted when death is imminent. Contact numbers for local personnel are at the end of the section. (Fulltext of Essential Point 2 in Religious contacts and religious practices)
3 Food and the content of medicine:
Jehovah's Witnesses will refuse any food or medicine that may contain whole blood or the four primary components (red cells, white cells, plasma and platelets); for example black pudding. (Fulltext of Essential Point 3 in Food and the content of medicine)
4 Blood Transfusion and Organ Transplantation:
Jehovah's Witnesses completely refuse transfusion of blood and primary blood components (red cells, white cells, plasma and platelets). Outside of blood transfusion, religious regulation and practice by Witnesses varies in areas including autologous transfusion (their own blood) and the use of blood fractions (or derivatives). Baptised Jehovah's Witnesses usually carry an advance care directive document that outlines treatment choices and releases the hospital from responsibility regarding the consequences of this decision. It is important to clarify with each patient whether or not blood use other than blood transfusion is acceptable. (Fulltext of Essential Point 4 in Blood Transfusion and Organ Transplantation)
5 Death-related religious rituals:
The local Patient Visitation Group representative should be contacted if death is imminent. (Fulltext of Essential Point 5 in Death-related religious rituals)
6 Cleaning and touching the body:
The normal washing and preparation procedure can be carried out. (Fulltext of Essential Point 6 in Cleaning and touching the body)
7 Initiation ritual/infant baptism:
Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in initiating infants into the religion through baptism, even in the case of imminent threat to the life of the newborn. (Fulltext of Essential Point 7 in Initiation ritual/infant baptism)
