Concerns have been raised over the continuing delays in progressing the modular building at Merlin Park Hospital in Galway, Ireland
Although more than 6,000 patients now waiting for orthopaedic procedures at Merlin Park Hospital, planning permission is yet to be approved for the long-promised modular building theatres that are to be put in place on the hospital grounds.
The contract for the modular construction has not yet been signed off on. This was confirmed by Ann Cosgrove the Chief Operating Officer of the Saolta University Health Care Group at the HSE West Forum meeting in Merlin Park.
Galway Councillors, Mary Hoade and Padraig Conneelly have raised concerns about the lack of progress.
In September 2017, two theatres at Merlin Park hospital were forced to close as the roof of the building was leaking, eventually, the roof was repaired and one of the two theatres again became operational.
The theatres deal with orthopaedic procedures, hips and knees, and the waiting list for procedures has now risen to more than 6,000 between inpatients and outpatients.
The solution that was proposed and approved by the HSE was to construct a temporary /modular building on the grounds of the hospital that would house two theatres. It was to be a quick solution to an urgent need.
However, for a number of reasons it has taken more than a year and the contract for the modular build has still not been signed.
Councillors were told that the contract is now close to being signed and that when the modular building is in place it will house two theatres and the single theatre now operating at Merlin park will also continue to be used – providing three theatres at the hospital.
