GALWAY EAST TD HITS OUT AT NEW HOSPITAL BEDS LYING IDLE

Date Published: 18-Jun-2008

A Galway East T.D is describing as "scandalous" the revelation that 13 new Galway hospital beds have been lying idle for over a year.Deputy Ulick Burke says the beds were provided in 2007 at a cost of 6.7 million euro, but will not be available for use until next year at the earliest.The Government provided 10 beds at University Hospital Galway and three beds at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe as part of a pre-election promise.Six of the beds are in the Cardiac Unit at UHG, with 3 more in the Burns unit and one ICU bed, meanwhile the 3 beds at Portiuncula are in the Special Care Baby Unit.In a reply to a question from Ulick Burke, Minister Harney says the new beds are 'part of planned phased developments which have not yet been commissioned.'Deputy Burke says he will be calling in the Dáil for these beds to be made available for use immediately.