HEALTH Minister Simon Harris availed of his visit to Limerick to confirm funding for the €20 million modular unit that will provide an additional 60 beds at University Hospital Limerick (UHL).
The Minister said that construction work will begin as quickly as possible with a view to having 60 additional beds available for next winter.
Welcoming the announcement, Limerick Fine Gael Senator Kieran O’Donnell said he endorsed the Health Minister’s request that hospital management and the Health Service Executive (HSE) work together to get the project underway as fast as possible.
“I have been campaigning strongly on this issue for the past number of months, including on-going discussions with Ministers Simon Harris and Pascal Donohoe. These discussions involved my impressing upon them the urgency of this 60 modular bed unit and that funding should be made available immediately so that building can go ahead.
“Having these beds in place as quickly as possible will make a positive difference to the delivery of patient care here in Limerick and the Mid-West.
Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Carey said that the new unit would help relieve the ongoing problem of bed capacity at UHL which was one of the reasons behind the big number of patients waiting on trolleys at the hospital.
“This project is of critical importance to healthcare provision in the mid-west region, servicing counties Clare, Limerick and north Tipperary, as it will improve patient flow throughout the hospital, patient comfort, patient safety, privacy and patient dignity.”
“While progress on the 60-bed block is most welcome, it is just one project to increase capacity, with another 96-bed unit also in the planning phase,” he said.
by Tom McCullough
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