Proposed new hospital a threat to Cahercalla says Fr Bohan

THE provision of a proposed 140-bed five-storey private hospital on the outskirts of Ennis costing an estimated €60 million, would threaten the long-term viability of Cahercalla Community Hospital and Hospice, it has been claimed.
In a letter to Clare county councillors, the chairman of the board of directors at Cahercalla, Fr Harry Bohan, has requested the elected members to carefully consider any decision they might make to facilitate the construction of the first private healthcare facility of its kind in the county at Shanaway Road, Ennis.
John Stack, Lisdoonvarna and Pat Bonner, Donegal, lodged a planning application with Clare County Council before Christmas seeking permission for a new private hospital complex including 120 in-patient and a further 20 out-patient beds.
Because the existing site at Shanaway Road is zoned for housing, it is understood that a material contravention of the Clare Development Plan requiring the support of 24 councillors will be necessary to rezone the land.
In his letter, Fr Bohan warned the new private hospital would threaten the long-term future of Cahercalla, which has been serving the community well for the last 15 years.
“It is the view of the board that such a proposal would have a negative impact on Cahercalla, which provides a wide range of healthcare services to the community including free hospice care in a purpose-built unit, 116-bed nursing home providing long-term and short-term care for patients and a surgical clinic offering a wide range of medical and surgical care on a day case basis,” he said.
Meanwhile, The Clare Champion has learned that another area near Skehanagh, Clarecastle, was zoned in the 2003 Ennis and Environs Development Plan for the provision of a public hospital if funding became available to build a new acute facility to replace Ennis hospital.
This could prove to be another unforeseen obstacle for the developers of the €60m project as councillors may not be in favour of zoning land in two areas on the outskirts of the town for healthcare facilities.
If planning permission is granted, the developers predict that over 100 construction jobs will be created and between 400 and 500 full-time jobs will be directly generated once it is due to become fully operational in 2012.
The proposed complex will provide a full range of medical and healthcare services including general surgery, urgent care, cardiology, radiation, oncology, cosmetic surgery four operating theatres and endoscopy.