Seanad Éireann debate -
Thursday, 25 Feb 1993

Vol. 135 No. 3

Adjournment Matters. - Longford-Westmeath General Hospital.

Mr. Cassidy

As a result of the emergency which has arisen at the Longford-Westmeath General Hospital in Mullingar, I urge this House to bear with me so that I can explain why it is so important for the Minister to give phase 2 of the hospital extension the go-ahead and to have immediate approval of a tender submitted to the Department last year.

The prefabricated buildings at Longford-Westmeath General Hospital have been there for 25 years. They are serving as the casualty, accident and emergency departments at the hospital. These buildings are in a state of decay and are a danger to the health of the staff and patients.

Last Sunday night hundreds of people attended a public meeting in Mullingar and showed their anger, annoyance and frustration at the terrible conditions at the hospital and they await this announcement by the Department. Many people stated the case clearly and some outlined personal experiences. Individuals of 70 years of age recounted the terrible ordeal of receiving medical attention in these conditions. Many explained that they waited four, five or six hours before they were attended to in the admission unit.

The patient intake in this hospital has doubled, and has been increasing over a number of years. On average, 350 patients go through these prefab buildings every week. Approximately 650 patients attend the X-ray department which is also housed in a prefabricated building. The throughput of patients in the Longford-Westmeath General Hospital for 1992 was 12,000. The population of Longford-Westmeath exceeds 100,000.

Longford-Westmeath General Hospital is one of the most efficient in the Midland Health Board area with a total admission cost of £148 per patient. It must not be punished for its efficiency by allowing these terrible conditions to continue. The Minister of State, when in the Department of Health, approved the extension for tender and fully supports having this work completed as a matter of urgency. She knows at first hand the conditions at the hospital. I am delighted to see her here this evening taking this motion on the Adjournment.

The chief surgeon at the hospital in Mullingar, Dr. Mina, has publicly warned that the morale of the staff at the hospital is under serious threat and that something must be done immediately. He said the water is coming through the roof of the prefabs and destroying documentation in the records section. This shows clearly the condition of these prefabs.

To recapitulate for 25 years there have been prefabs at the hospital. This is totally unacceptable. In 1985 the Midland Health Board decided to rationalise the hospital service in the Longford-Westmeath area and build a new general hospital in Mullingar. The Department of Health have kept their word and given us a £10 million extension in Mullingar and the facilities there are second to none. Now we are looking for a new admission unit to serve the 100,000 people in the catchment area. This admission unit would cost £5.5 million which could be spread over three years. A sum of £40 million has been allocated under this year's capital programme and it would take very little to build this facility.

I invite the Minister for Health to visit Mullingar and see the situation for himself. We look forward to him signing the documents of tender and getting the work started.

May I give the remaining time to Senator Belton?

An Cathaoirleach

Agreed.

Mr. Belton

I thank Senator Cassidy for allowing me some of his time. As this is my first time to speak in the Seanad, it is significant that it is on the subject of the Longford-Westmeath General Hospital.

I live in the Longford area. I am acutely aware of the hardship suffered by the people of Longford when the hospitals were amalgamated. Promises were made and a certain strategy adopted by the Midland Health Board at that time to develop Mullingar Hospital. As Senator Cassidy said, there is a large intake of patients at the hospital; at any given time about one-third of the patients come from County Longford.

I had first hand experience of the hospital two years ago when I was a patient. I was taken to the casualty unit and there is no doubt that the X-ray and admission units are outdated. There are housed in extremely bad conditions. I want to pay tribute to the staff at Longford-Westmeath General Hospital who are doing tremendous work in those conditions. I do not think that any patient complained because they received the best care and attention. It is only right that this project should go ahead now. We have the political muscle in the area — the Taoiseach and the former Minister for Health who was vocal and helpful in pushing this project at the time.

We want phase 2 of the development to be implemented now. As Senator Cassidy pointed out there is widespread concern among the staff and everybody connected with the hospital. I did not attend the meeting on Sunday night; the people in Longford were not notified about it. I take this opportunity to voice our concern. We are fully behind every effort that has been made so far. The Minister for Health, Deputy Howlin, should come to Mullingar, but it is more important that he should give the go-ahead for the tender. Everybody is aware of the appalling conditions at the hospital. Time has run out.

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise and Employment (Mrs. O'Rourke)

I thank Senator Cassidy for putting down this Motion on the Adjournment and Senator Belton for joining in the debate. This is an issue of which I am aware and on which I am glad to speak, particularly since I was coming to the Seanad. In my short tenure of office in the Department of Health — it was not my fault that I did not get to stay there longer——

Mr. Belton

The Minister is still in good health.

Mrs. O'Rourke

I am in powerful health, thank the Lord. In my time there, that project was sent to tender. I did not do so from a sense of parochialism but because it is the most serious case needing attention in the country. I wish Senators could see the condition of this hospital.

As Members will be aware, phase 2 went to tender and when completed will cost £9 million. Phase 2A will cost £5.6 million. The figures are as clear in my mind as when we let it out to tender. The tenders are in since last September and were cleared are noted in October. It is one of the projects in which the Minister for Health, Deputy Howlin, is very interested. So interested is he that he is coming to visit Mullingar on 22 March. I hope all the Oireachtas Members will meet him, and also those who are interested in the project. I accept what Senator Belton has said. Coming will clarify the Minister's mind because he will see the conditions in which staff are working and where people are treated each week.

The Taoiseach, the Minister, Deputy Penrose, Deputy McGrath, Senator Belton, Senator Cassidy and I are very keen to have this facility commenced this year. We have the Minister's word, and the word of the officials in the Department, that a close watch is being kept on the pattern of spending this year in the capital budget. Very often there is a slowup in a project and since it does not proceed at the rate anticipated, moneys cannot be called down at a particular time for a project. I am aware of that since my time in the Department of Education.

The capital budget is modest but it allows for movement on projects other than those mentioned in it. A careful watch being kept on the pattern of spending on each individual project, not from a sense of curtailment as the Department of Finance would think, but to allow some unspent money to be immediately used to commence phase 2A of Mullingar Hospital. It is the wish of the Minister for Health, the Taoiseach and myself that this be the course of action taken this year. We will welcome the Minister for Health when he comes to Mullingar.