Vol. 462 No. 1
69 Mr. Browne (Wexford) asked the Minister for Health the reason the new kidney unit at Ardkeen Hospital, Waterford, is not fully operational in spite of continued assurances from the South-Eastern Health Board; and if his attention has been drawn to the severe hardship being caused to patients who have to travel to Dublin for treatment. [4076/96]
Limerick East): The difficulties experienced by the contractor which resulted in the appointment of an examiner to the parent company entailed that the original completion and handover dates for the renal dialysis unit were not achieved. The completion of all building works, including the provision of car parking and appropriate patient access to this new unit was completed on 20 December, 1995.
The process of the evaluation by the users and technical staff of the board of equipment to be installed in this unit has been ongoing culminating in the placing of the required advertisement for the equipment in January 1996.
The Board is conscious of the hardship to patients who are required to travel to Dublin for this treatment and are working towards the opening of the new renal dialysis unit at the earliest possible date in the coming months. In the meantime, the existing dialysis unit is still operational and will continue to function pending the opening of the new unit which will mean an increase in the number of dialysis places from five to nine.
