Vol. 383 No. 6
asked the Minister for Health the present position regarding the opening of Cavan General Hospital; if he intends opening the hospital with its full complement of two hundred and seventy beds; if he intends to have the hospital staffed so that it can give a full and proper service to the people in the catchment area this hospital was designed and built to service; and if he intends having an ENT unit attached.
57.
asked the Minister for Health when it is envisaged that the new Cavan hospital, County Cavan will open; the cost to date of this hospital in total; and the annual maintenance and heating costs in its current state.
222.
asked the Minister for Health the total cost to the Exchequer of the provision of Cavan hospital, County Cavan; the current annual cost of heating and maintaining this facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 33, 57 and 222 together.
The present position is that all the heavy items of equipment such as the X-ray units have been installed and I have allocated £2.5 million to the North Eastern Health Board to complete the equipping process. At present over £1 million has been spent and the equipment is being installed. The health board is currently placing orders for the balance of the equipment and I am assured that all the necessary equipment will be in place and ready for operation by the spring of 1989. Once this has been accomplished there will be no delay in opening the hospital. Regretfully it is not possible to admit patients to the hospital until the equipping is completed.
The precise number of beds to be commissioned and the number of staff required to support these beds is being discussed in detail with the health board in the context of the financial allocations for 1989. Discussions on the location of ENT services in the region are being held.
The total cost of the development to date is in excess of £25 million and the annual cost of heating and maintaining the hospital is in the order of £80,000.
