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THE first phase of a long-awaited €19.5 million, 60 single bed block, at the country’s most overcrowded hospital – University Hospital Limerick – is to open next week, it emerged tonight.
The first of three inpatient wards, each containing 20 individual en suite rooms will open from next Monday, November 23.
A further 20 single en suite rooms will open on December 14th, followed by a third tranche of 20 beds, on January 4th, 2021.
Earlier today there were 74 patients languishing on trolleys at UHL, which was fifty-four more than the country’s other two busiest hospitals, Cork University Hospital, and Midland General Hospital, which both with 20 patients on trolleys.
Limerick Fine Gael TD, Kieran O’Donnell said he received confirmation of dates for the opening of the extra beds at UHL, tonight, from both UHL management as well as by the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly.
“These new 60 en-suite individual beds will alleviate the frequent pressures faced by UHL, particularly during the Covid19 difficulties coupled with the winter period,” Deputy O’Donnell said.
The Limerick TD argued that it would also “help to improve patient comfort, safety, privacy and dignity, and assist greatly with the management of infection control in the hospital”.
“The 60 bed block is part of a €100m capital investment in the Mid-West in 2020/21 in response to Covid and non-Covid care strategic plans, and I wish to commend Professor Colette Cowen, UHL Chief Executive, and all her team for their hard work on this vital addition of bed capacity.”
Deputy O’Donnell said a total of 98 beds, at UHL, as well as 24 beds at Croom Orthopedic Hospital, will be delivered by the first quarter of 2021.
In addition management at UHL has sought planning permission for a 96-bed block to be constructed on the grounds of the hospital, which O’Donnell said “should be prioritised for construction as quickly as possible”.
Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea, who has also fought for more hospital beds in the region, said it was a “welcome development for UHL”.
Since Fein’s Maurice Quinlivan said overcrowding at UHL has “become the norm” over many years.
“The need to be treated on a trolley in a hallway should be the exception. The capacity issues at the hospital are neither the staff nor the patients making, yet they are the ones who suffer with the loss of privacy, dignity and in many cases not proper care.”
“Proper care cannot be delivered in very crowded situations with inadequate staffing,” Quinlivan added.
Last Friday UHL announced six of its wards were closed and 188 staff across the UL Hospitals Group were off work or self isolating due to having tested positive for COVID-19 or because they had been designated as close contacts.
Cancellations of all routine outpatient appointments and the majority of elective procedures were extended to Friday November 20, as the hospital continues to deal with “multiple outbreaks” of the virus.
The Limerick Emergency Department at UHL remains open on a 24-7 basis, for emergency cases only. Meanwhile, local injury clinics, cancer care services, dialysis, palliative care, and dermatology and melanoma clinics are operating as normal.
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