Merlin Park theatres approved
The HSE has finally been given the green light for the construction of new operating theatres for Merlin Park Hospital – nearly two years after existing theatres were shut down due to a leaking roof.
At the moment, there are more than 6,900 people on inpatient and outpatient waiting lists at Galway’s two public hospitals – including around 2,000 people waiting for hip and knee replacements, as well as spinal, ankle and shoulder surgeries at Merlin Park.
Consultant surgeons at the hospital described the waiting list as “catastrophic” and warned that patients are clinically worsening as they wait to be admitted for surgery.
The planning decision by Galway City Council last week comes almost two years after a leaking roof at the hospital saw the existing theatres building shut down, although one of them subsequently reopened following refurbishment works.
The plans involve the construction of a new 613 square metre modular building and link corridor to the main hospital building to replace the existing to theatres, which the HSE has described as “no longer fit for purpose”.
There will be two orthopaedic theatre suites and supporting each theatre will be an anaesthetic room, pre and post-operative recovery rooms, staff changing, toilet facilities and storage.
According to documentation filed with the City Council, the building – despite use of the term ‘modular’ – will be a permanent structure, and elements of it may be constructed off site “to facilitate the rapid delivery of this essential healthcare facility”.
“An orthopaedic theatre by its very nature must be a substantial solid structure to meet the strict criteria for this clinical use, therefore a significant degree of permeance is required, in excess of 20+ years.
“The current adjacent hospital building has four operating theatres, however, only two of these are in regular use. The current theatres are more than 40 years old and no longer fit for purpose, mainly due to space constraints – it is intended that the new theatre facility will replace the existing obsolete theatres.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
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