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An investment of €20million providing new and upgrading facilities at Ennis Hospital safeguards its future, according to Health Minister Dr James Reilly.
This includes the expenditure of over €9m on the new state-of-the-art 25-bedded Burren and Fergus wards, which were officially unveiled by Minister Reilly on Monday.
Ennis Hospital was officially opened on October 4, 1940, when it replaced the old County Infirmary, as the institution responsible for the provision of acute care in the county.
It was opened at a total cost of €90,000 which was, in the main, funded by the Irish Hospitals Trust. The hospital catered for up to 80 inpatients, under Matron Stritch, with 11 nurses and eight wardsmaids.
Dr Reilly stressed no government would spend in the region of €20m on an acute hospital like Ennis if it didn’t have a definite future.
He predicted this new 50-bedded unit, would stand the test of time and is second to none in terms of comfort, dignity, cross infection and hospital acquired infection standards
He praised the great culture of care provided by the staff to patients, which they always had and would continue to receive.
Stating the Small Hospitals Report would be published within the next few weeks, he stressed that there wasn’t enough capacity in the acute hospital system to be closing any hospitals.
He said there was a whole menu of 25 new services like sleep apanea and colonoscopy that should be considered for Ennis to provide as much care as possible locally.
“The future of this hospital has changed for the better. It is secure. This Government is committed to this hospital and ensuring Clare people have a safe service. 95% of what Ennis did before will still be done here in relation to the Local Injuries Unit and the Medical Assessment Unit.
There will be many other things done here in this hospital, which haven’t been done before.
After praising the hospital for winning a national innovation award for teleradiology, the minister stressed he wanted to see this facility rolled out in other hospitals where an x-ray could be taken in a local hospital and read by an expert elsewhere while still receiving the results promptly.
Former Ennis Hospital manager, Frank Keane said he was proud to don the county jersey to proclaim the benefits of the new 50-bed in-patient SARI compliant state-of-the-art new wing of the hospital.
He said the new day wards and endoscopy suite in showed what spectacular results could be achieved with the refurbishment of an old building.
Mid-Western Regional Hospitals’ Group board chairman, Professor Niall O’Higgins stressed the importance of patients and staff working together to avoid any miscommunication and ensure adequate diagnosis and treatment.
He said current Government policy would result in the development of a hospital trust, which would help provide hospitals with more authority and devolved responsibility for further development.
