The Mayor of Castlebar, Cllr Brendan Henaghan, has said he will “eat his hat” if the Sacred Heart Hospital is not there in five years time.
Cllr Henaghan made his comments following a community rally outside the Castlebar facility on Monday night where up to 200 people attended to show their support.
The Sacred Heart faces closure if a funding application for €10.4 million for necessary works is not granted in the immediate future. The works have been set out by HIQA with a deadline for completion of June 2015. However, it will take two years to complete the job and approval for the funding is still pending.
At a meeting of the HSE West Regional Forum this week Mayo county councillor Seamus Weir was told by Mr John Hennessy, HSE regional director, that the Sacred Heart application is a high priority but the budget nationally for the capital programme is €50 million and “highly competitive”.
Cllr Annie Mae Reape, who had submitted a written question about the status of the Sacred Heart application to the forum in advance of Tuesday’s meeting, was told by Mr Frank Murphy, area manager for Mayo, that no decision had been made yet in relation to the application. But Mr Hennessy added that the HSE would be “pursuing (the application ) vigorously” to get the work done.
The HIQA regulations are demanding a significant internal redesign at the Sacred Heart to include three-bed wards and single private rooms ensuite.
The current accommodation at the Sacred Heart consists of 77 long stay beds, 36 rehab beds, and 150 staff.
The application for funding was submitted by the HSE management team in Mayo together with detailed refurbishment plans to the national planning steering group last January. Premises not in compliance with HIQA standards by June 30 2015 will close.
A second community rally, which is being organised by members of the Fianna Fáil party in the town, is scheduled for June 30 should no positive announcement be made in the interim.
A public petition has already attracted around 1,000 signatures and is available for signing in the Welcome Inn Hotel, New Antrim Street, Castlebar, and at Fianna Fáil county councillor Al McDonnell’s office on Linenhall Street.
Conor Smyth, one of the campaign organisers, said that the issue was now one of great urgency. “If the investment demanded by HIQA standards is not made available in the next few weeks, then the works cannot be carried out in time to meet the licence renewal deadline of June 30, 2015. In other words, the gates of the Sacred Heart Hospital will close for good on that day. The reality is as stark and as plain as that,” he said.
“We are appealing to every family which has now, or which has in the past, experienced the kindness, care, and comfort of the Sacred Heart Hospital. We owe it to the hospital, its staff, and most of all to our sick and elderly that this wonderful facility be saved into the future,” he said.
An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who was attending a function in Castlebar on Monday night but who did not attend the community rally, released a short statement later in the week saying: “I am aware that the issue of the Sacred Heart Hospital has been the subject of some public discussion recently.
“Late last year, Minister for Health James Reilly and I visited the hospital where we met with officials and heard their views as to the future direction the hospital should take. I also met with Fine Gael town councillors recently regarding this issue and have undertaken to update them again as soon as possible.”
