This article is from page 8 of the 2006-08-08 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
IT IS just two days until the all-important meeting of the HSE that could determine the upgrade of the Mid Western Regional Hospital, Ennis.
The design for the upgrade of the hospital had been delayed amid concerns of a multimillion euro shortfall. A total of €20.8 million has been allocated to the project by the Department of Health but it has since emerged that this will not cover equipment or the extra staff required as a result of the upgrade.
It is estimated that as much as €16 million will be required to fit out the state-of-the-art extension, while further money will have to be located to cover the inflation in building costs since the project was first announced.
Recent regulations on hygiene and disease control have also added to the spiralling cost.
The project, which was due to go to planning in mid summer, has already been delayed and could be delayed even further if this issue cannot be resolved.
The design for the first two phases of the hospital redevelopment has been with the financial director of the HSE in Naas for two months.
A meeting has been scheduled for Thursday between the local hospital network and the financial department of the HSE to discuss this latest difficulty.
While refusing to comment on the issues facing the meeting a spokesperson for the HSE said there are a number of issues to iron out.
In a letter to the CEO of the HSE Professor Brendan Drumm, Senator Timmy Dooley described the current situation as “a most unsatisfactory position”.
“You will understand my frustration with this particular matter as it appears that while the HSE was established, among other reasons, to remove bureaucracy and work towards the delivery of a more streamlined, transparent and patient-centred health service, it seems in this instance to have failed that mandate,” he told the CEO.