Local TD Denis Naughten has welcomed the announcement that the HSE intends to open the state-of-the-art special care baby unit (SCBU ) at Portiuncula Hospital towards the end of September.
“I warmly welcome the fact that it now looks like this unit will be opened by the end of September - two years after the project was first completed at a cost of €2m,” said Deputy Naughten.
“It has been lying idle up to this point due to a lack of funding and I hope that when it is opened it will be fully staffed.”
Earlier this week Deputy Naughten had criticised the HSE for continuing to allow the new unit to gather dust for two years while staff and parents were forced to care for babies in the current overcrowded and unsuitable SCBU due to a lack of funding.
Referring to the announcement of the opening he added: “This is positive news and a welcome development for sick children born within the catchment area of Portiuncula Hospital”.
