New era dawns for healthcare in Tuam

Almost €50 million has been pumped into healthcare facilities in Tuam which are now ready to be opened to the public.

Tuam Health Campus, which will provide around 300 new jobs, will be ready for action in a matter of weeks.

When complete, the campus – located on the old twelve-acre Grove Hospital site – will boast a primary care centre, ambulance base, mental health day hospital and a community nursing home.

It represents an investment of nearly €50 million in health services in Tuam that began with the opening of the ambulance base two years ago while the Primary Care Centre opened its doors a couple of year ago.

The new Primary Care Centre serves a population of over 20,000 people and the services provided include public health nurses, community general nurses, a physiotherapist, dietitians and occupational therapists and they will work in conjunction with local GPs.

The centre will also accommodate around 10,000 X-rays each year – eliminating trips to Galway City for such a service – while it is also the base for the out-of-hours GP service Westdoc.

“The old Grove site has been transformed and with the construction phase reaching completion in the coming week, the build can again stand proud as a beacon of hope in Tuam,” said local Deputy Sean Canney.

“The streetscape has been transformed in Vicar Street. The building has been transformed internally and will provide a mental health day hospital and a one stop shop for disability services.

“It now offers modern facility within an existing historic building. Carey Construction Building cobtractors have delivered the building in pristine condition and the €13 million cost is a great long-term investment in Tuam.

“I acknowledge the support I received from former Minister for Health Simon Harris and Tuam native and former TD Finian McGrath in order to provide the funding for the works,” added Deputy Canney.

He also commended the late Joe and Helen O’Toole, who provided funding for the community nursing unit.

This facility represents an investment of €17m in a modern fit-for-purpose 51-bed unit. The facility will have a high-dependency unit and will also act as a step-down facility for patients being discharged from hospital.

The community nursing unit has a central courtyard, sensory garden, external walks with each bedroom will be equipped to the highest standards fit to serve the needs of the community long into the future.

Deputy Canney said that these two projects are a major asset for the town and will bring workers back into the locality.