asked the Minister for Health if he will state in respect of the last five financial years the amounts provided from the Hospitals' Trust Fund for new voluntary hospital construction and improvements of a major kind in the areas excluding Cork, Dublin, Waterford, Galway and Limerick Cities, giving the name of the hospital and the grant in each case.
Written Answers. - Hospitals' Trust Fund.
The position as regards (1) is:—
|
Beds available |
||||
|
County |
Institution |
(a) |
(b) |
(c) |
|
Maternity |
Surgical and general |
Tuberculosis |
||
|
Offaly |
County Hospital, Tullamore |
10 |
83 |
— |
|
County Home, Tullamore |
6 |
303 |
— |
|
|
St. Vincent's Hospital, Tullamore |
— |
— |
22 |
|
|
District Hospital, Edenderry |
— |
21 |
— |
|
|
District Hospital, Birr |
— |
15 |
— |
|
|
Roscommon |
County Hospital, Roscommon |
10 |
102 |
— |
|
County Home, Roscommon |
— |
269 |
— |
|
|
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital |
— |
— |
18 |
|
|
District Hospital, Boyle |
— |
22 |
— |
|
|
Westmeath |
County Hospital, Mullingar |
18 |
99 |
4 |
|
County Home, Mullingar |
— |
220 |
— |
|
|
St. Anne's Hospital, Mullingar |
— |
— |
57 |
|
|
District Hospital, Athlone |
7 |
73 |
— |
In regard to (2), I have obtained from the authorities concerned figures of waiting lists under the heading of general, medical, surgical and maternity on several dates during the year. The average figures are as follows:
|
Offaly |
73 persons |
|
Roscommon |
222 persons |
|
Westmeath |
113 persons |
These waiting lists refer almost exclusively to the County Hospitals and the cases are mainly children recommended for tonsil and adenoid operations. The number of additional beds necessary to deal with these cases is not large. No case requiring urgent treatment had to be refused admission in the year.
There was no effective waiting list for tuberculosis in the three counties in the year.
With regard to (3), increases in the bed accommodation have been approved as shown below. No increases in the number of tuberculosis beds are envisaged.
OFFALY:
County Hospital, Tullamore:
Plans have been approved for the reallocation of the staff accommodation in this hospital as patients' accommodation, the work to be carried out when the new Nurses Home that is under construction is completed. The increased accommodation will be 20 general medical and surgical and 10 maternity beds.
The estimated cost is £3,500.
Birr District Hospital:
Approval has been given to a general scheme of reconstruction and extension at this district hospital. Eight additional maternity beds are to be provided as an extension to the hospital.
The cost of the general scheme of improvements is estimated at £44,000.
Edenderry District Hospital:
Approval has been given to a general scheme of reconstruction and extension at this hospital. The patients' accommodation will be provided in the extension. There will be an increase of 3 medical beds and 8 maternity beds.
The estimated cost of the scheme is £53,000.
COUNTY ROSCOMMON:
Roscommon County Hospital:
Approval has been given to the provision of a new maternity unit of 26 beds at this hospital. This represents an increase of 16 maternity beds. There will be a resulting loss of 6 medical beds.
The cost of providing the new maternity unit is estimated at £44,000.
Boyle District Hospital:
Approval has been given to the provision of a maternity unit of six beds in an existing ward that has ceased to be used for other purposes.
The estimated cost of the work is £5,000.
COUNTY WESTMEATH:
Mullingar County Hospital:
Approval has been given to the provision of a new maternity unit of 20 beds, this represents a net increase of 4 maternity beds. The 16 existing maternity beds will be set free for general purposes.
A tentative estimate of the cost of providing the new maternity unit as an extension of the hospital is £40,000.
Athlone District Hospital:
Work on the general reconstruction of this hospital is in progress. The total number of beds will not be increased but there is likely to be some increase in the number of maternity beds available as the maternity unit planned on the female corridor allows for flexibility in the number of maternity beds as required.
The estimated cost of the reconstruction scheme is £112,000.