Kenny says MGH emergency department is safe

FAMILIAR FACE?An Taoiseach Enda Kenny meets with Hospital Volunteers Rosaline Halligan, Josephine Curtis, Nina Gibbons, Mildred Beirne, Norah Walshe and Carmel McTague before he opened the refurbished and expanded €2m Renal Dialysis Unit and turned the sod on a new Cystic Fibrosis building at Mayo General Hospital. ?Pic:: Keith Heneghan/Phocus

Kenny says hospital emergency department is safe and secure


Ciara Galvin

AN Taoiseach Enda Kenny rubbished ongoing rumours relating to the downgrading of the accident and emergency department at Mayo General Hospital yesterday (Monday).
Turning the sod to mark the beginning of the new Cystic Fibrosis building at the hospital and opening the newly refurbished and extended Renal Dialysis Unit, An Taoiseach spoke to The Mayo News outlining findings from a presentation he held with the management of the hospital before the ceremonies.
The presentation outlined that there will be 36,000 patients going through the accident and emergency department of the hospital next year and management have seen an 80 per cent reduction in the number of people waiting on trolleys, and a reduction in absenteeism.  
Mr Kenny told The Mayo News ‘There is absolutely no danger at all in respect of the downgrading of the accident and emergency unit and comments to the contrary are baseless and without fact.’
He continued, ‘People should be very careful not to be spreading concern and anxiety among ordinary people that something is afoot when truly it’s not. This is a very important hospital as part of the West North West Hospital Group...People should be careful when they make comments that affect people’s lives and affect the comfort and security that people look to in the medical services.’
Mr Kenny said it was ‘about time’ that people said there are really good things happening in the health service and stated ‘there’s no danger whatsoever to the accident and emergency unit in Mayo General Hospital.’

Good news
Referring to the earlier presentation by the management of Mayo General Hospital, Mr Kenny said developments such as the hospital’s association with nurse training in GMIT and the planned refurbishment of the old Church on St Mary’s grounds to be a laboratory and theatre ‘speaks for itself’, adding that confirmation from Bill Maher, CEO, West Northwest Hospitals Group that the hospital will continue to expand and develop further services was ‘very good news indeed’.
Opening the refurbished and expanded Renal Dialysis Unit, Mr Kenny commended the staff and patients for their cooperation in moving to another site for the previous 12 months while works were taking place.
The unit which was refurbished at a cost of €2million now provides 15 stations including two isolation rooms. Support in the purchase of equipment for the unit was provided by the Irish Nottingham Golf Society, Friends of Dialysis Mayo General Hospital and the Irish Kidney Association.
Well known GAA pundit and organ donation supporter Joe Brolly was also in attendance at the opening of the unit.
Former patient of the unit, Westport man Darren Cawley said that incidences of patients from Mayo having to travel to Galway for dialysis would ‘hopefully be a thing of the past’ with the expansion of the unit which can now treat up to 70 patients a week and facilitate visitors to Mayo who require dialysis.
“The unit is fantastic. While you’re in here you’re by yourself and it’s all the little things that make it more comfortable,” said Mr Cawley.

CF unit
An Taoiseach then turned the first sod on the site of a new day care and outpatient Cystic Fibrosis facility for adults and children at the hospital. A total investment of €1.3million has been agreed for the building, including approximately €900,000 raised by fundraising contributions coordinated by Cystic Fibrosis West (€615,000), working with the Mayo branch of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland (€285,000), €200,000 was contributed from the National Lottery and €200,000 will be provided by West North West Hospitals Group through Mayo General Hospital.
The new Cystic Fibrosis Unit provides state of the art facilities with dedicated patient treatment rooms providing ensuite facilities and environmental separation through sophisticated Air Management Infrastructure, ensuring the best possible care environment.
Speaking after the sod turning, Martina Jennings of CF West stated that ‘the dream has finally become a reality’. Ms Jennings thanked her fellow volunteers and the people of Mayo for contributing over €600,000 towards the unit build.
According to Charlie Meehan, General Manager of Mayo General Hospital, the completion of the unit will result in a ‘tremendous difference to people with CF’ adding that routine procedures needed for the care and maintenance of people living with CF will all be done in a safe environment in a specialised building.
The project provides 3,200 square foot of a new two storey block for the care of Cystic Fibrosis outpatients linked to the hospital infrastructure through the existing outpatient department. The unit will provide two specialist patient areas, treatment facilities, education laboratory, conference and support facilities all integrated into the hospital infrastructure.