I thank Deputy McGrath for allowing me to contribute on this issue of extreme importance to the people of Westmeath and Longford. I am also glad that the Minister for Public Enterprise is present to take note of what we say.
I cannot over-emphasise to the Minister for Health and Children the importance of providing the requisite staff to allow the important new facilities within phase 2A of this hospital development to be opened. I recall urging my party colleague, Deputy Howlin, as Minister for Health, to give the go-ahead to this development. Indeed I was delighted he provided the first tranche of funds amounting to £5.5 million for that purpose carried on by his successor, the outgoing Minister for Health, Deputy Michael Noonan. As Deputy McGrath said, a total of approximately £11 million has been expended, phase 2A has been completed and handed over to the Midland Health Board on 30 July 1996.
It is appropriate that we should discuss this matter since the local papers this evening carry a huge headline reading "Three million pounds in medical equipment lies idle in Mullingar General Hospital", approximately £300,000 of which was raised locally for the purchase of a CAT scan.
Yet the fully equipped X-ray, Casualty, Accident and Emergency and day bed units remain unopened, forcing the Midland Health Board to spend huge amounts of time and money maintaining old equipment in those old departments described by Deputy McGrath costing nearly as much as its replacement.
Surely it is incumbent on the Department of Health and Children not merely to provide the necessary buildings and infrastructure urgently required in the Mullingar area, because of the dilapidated nature of the structures staff and patients have to contend with, but also to ensure the necessary finance is provided for the immediate recruitment of the requisite staff at all levels to enable these units to be opened.
Indeed the current position never should have arisen but did as a consequence of downright bad planning. Staff must be provided simultaneously with the completion of building such units. The ordinary people of Mullingar are asking the reason for the delay. It is difficult for me or any other Member to inform them that it is occasioned by a lack of financial resources at a time when the Exchequer is awash with funds. What better place to begin the process of equitable economic distribution than allocating sufficient funds to permit the recruitment of the full staffing complement to allow phase 2A of this hospital to be opened? Those staffing requirements amount to a total of 81 at a cost of approximately £1.6 million, which includes those required for the X-ray, Accident and Emergency, Out-Patients, day bed unit and Endoscopy suite in addition to a third consultant surgeon.
It is my understanding that all the necessary extra equipment has been installed, the guarantees on which have commenced. The Minister will be well aware that radiology equipment, if not used, deteriorates and that the most expensive part of an X-ray machine is the X-ray tube which deteriorates most quickly. These units cost £30,000 to £40,000 each with the result that tube failure due to prolonged non-usage is very expensive.
Existing staff find the overall position extraordinary, having been of the view that because of the dilapidated state of the old pre-fab buildings, when the extension was completed, they could move in immediately. The general public is perplexed. If the opening process is to begin in January next funds need to be committed for that purpose immediately.
I understand proposals were advanced recently to break the deadlock to permit the new services to start along with the CAT scan, mammography and digital screening units. It is also my understanding that there has been a trial run of the CAT scan but that this facility cannot be made available to the public until the necessary staff are provided.
I had hoped the Minister for Health and Children would be present. I am glad that there is this representation of Members from the midlands who know how important these services are to the people of the area, who know also that this is not an effort to politicise the issue. We urgently require those funds to allow phase 2A to commence.
