Hopes Varadkar visit will secure new hospital ED

GROUPS pressing for a new Emergency Department (ED) to be constructed at UHG are hoping that a visit to the hospital by Health Minister, Leo Varadkar next week will help secure funding approval for the project ‘to get over the line’.
The Health Minister is to visit the ED Unit at UHG next Friday (July 10) as the pressure grows to secure a hard and fast commitment for the building of the new unit.
Already, Minister for Public Expenditure, Brendan Howlin has visited the hospital and has – according to local Labour Party TD Derek Nolan – acknowledged the need for the new unit.
“We’re confident that following the visit of the Health Minister on Friday to the hospital, that all of the homework will have been done to ensure the new ED project is included in the Capital Expenditure programme for the next five years,” said Deputy Nolan.
He added that Minister Varadkar had already accepted that the current ED section at the hospital ‘was not fit for purpose’ and that the construction of a new unit, represented the only viable solution.
“There are two options: the building of a new two storey ED unit on the current site costing approximately €30 million or the construction of a six-storey building – incorporating both the ED and a new maternity unit – at a cost of approximately €60m,” said Deputy Nolan.
According to Deputy Brian Walsh, Minister Varadkar was acutely aware of the need for the new unit – it was important, he said, to get the project ‘over the line’ in terms of the five year capital expenditure programme of the Government for the next five years.
“It’s accepted by everyone that the only solution to the problems being experienced at ED in UHG is the construction of a new state-of-the-art unit.
“We will take the opportunity presented by Minister Varadkar’s visit next week to highlight this issue but he is already acutely aware of the need for this development,” said Deputy Walsh.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.