CALLS have been made to shorten the timeline for the construction of the 96-bed extension at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) amid growing demand on the Emergency Department at the Dooradoyle facility.
This followed an announcement from Limerick Fine Gael TD Kieran O’Donnell that work will start on the €50 million project in the new year.
Submissions on the tender are due back in the coming week and Deputy O’Donnell said that these will be evaluated and a recommendation of the preferred bidder will be made to the HSE Board in the first quarter of 2022. The Board’s approval will then be sought for the appointment of a building contractor.
The 96-bed until will bring bed capacity at UHL to 194.
“I have been campaigning for additional beds at UHL for many years so it is very welcome that we are now seeing 96-bed block currently being advanced through the tender process,” Deputy O’Donnell told the Limerick Post.
“It is imperative that the appointment of a building contractor is fast-tracked by the HSE board when they receive the preferred tender so construction can get underway immediately.
However, Limerick Sinn Féin TD Maurice Quinlivan has criticised government inaction, saying the project needs to be expedited.
He said the construction of the unit will take approximately 18 months to complete from the date a tender is awarded.
“The earliest this unit will be ready is Summer 2023. Given the crisis at the hospital, this timeline must be shortened“There is a crisis of capacity at UHL There are astronomical numbers of people being treated on trolleys and the ICU capacity has nearly been reached.
“Additional wards are urgently needed to address these problems. I have raised these issues in the Dáil on numerous occasions and have been assured by various Ministers that the requisite resources will be provided to the hospital. The resources that are most needed are capacity and staffing,” he explained.
He added that staff at UHL “have done tremendous work in managing and treating the large volumes of patients presenting at the hospital. They are understandably concerned about having to work in such conditions yet continue to deliver a tremendous service to those who need medical assistance.
“These staff need to see light at the end of the tunnel. They need to know that the government is listening to them,” he declared.
“The government could have taken steps to expedite the construction process for this unit, but they have failed to do so. I am again calling on Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to listen to the staff at UHL and take immediate steps to address the issue of overcrowding.
“The Minister must use his position at the cabinet to ensure the construction of the 96-bed unit is made an urgent government priority,” Deputy Quinlivan concluded.
