An east Galway Fianna Fail TD moved this week to reassure people about the future of Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe.
Deputy Noel Treacy said there are no plans to change the status of the 197-bed county hospital - which caters for patients from east Galway, Westmeath, north Tipperary, Roscommon and Offaly - and is expected to cater for almost 81,000 people this year.
He said following local concerns about the future of the facility he was assured by hospital management that it will continue to play a “pivotal role” in the delivery of health services in the region.
“After I was contacted by several local people concerning the future of the hospital, I made strenuous representations to the new clinical director of the Galway Regional Hospitals Group, Dr David O’Keeffe. He told me that there are no plans to change the status of Portiuncula hospital and that it will remain an integral part of the health services both regionally and nationally in the years ahead.
“He also stressed that there are strong links between Portiuncula, Roscommon and the Galway hospitals and that he was hoping to strengthen those links even further. He mentioned that services for patients in Portiuncula are now being provided by some of the consultant physicians and surgeons in Galway while consultants from Portiuncula are also travelling to both Galway and Roscommon to provide services there too.”
He outlined that applications for two general surgical posts at the hospital closed last week and interviews will be held shortly.
“Dr O’Keeffe said he hoped to foster the links in the years to come. Hopefully this will quell local speculation about the future of Portiuncula Hospital and calm fears that may have existed in the local community. This confirms once again what I have continuously re-iterated over three decades, that this hospital is pivotal to maintaining and sustaining health services in our region and nationally.”
Portiuncula Hospital provides a comprehensive range of services including acute medical and surgical care, obstetrics, and emergency care. It will treat 10,694 inpatients, 7,338 day cases and 42,497 outpatients this year. Its emergency department operates on a 24 hour basis and will cater for 20,313 cases in 2010.
