80 Orthopedic Patients had Procedures Cancelled this Week at Merlin Park Hospital
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80 patients waiting for orthopedic surgery scheduled at Merlin Park Hospital in Galway this week, have had their procedures cancelled.
Two orthopedic theatres at the hospital are temporarily closed down since the 19th of this month (Sept) due to a structural problem in the roof of the building.
At yesterday’s monthly HSE West Forum meeting in Merlin Park Chief Operating Officer for the HSE West Ann Cosgrove apologised to the hundreds of orthopedic patients that will be impacted by the present crisis .
Standing Order were suspended at the start of yesterday’s forum meeting, as the Chairperson of the forum, Headford Based councillor Mary Hoade asked management to outline how the crisis is being tackled.
Ann Cosgrove began by apologising to the patients who have been impacted by the leak in the roof of the operating theatre. The leak was initially identified on the 11th Sept, and the theatres were closed it was subsequently repaired and reopened on Sept 18th, but later in that day dampness was again identified in the roof of the theatres and they have been out of operation since.
Over 800 people are on the waiting list for orthopedic surgery at present in Mrelin Park Hospital, and 56 of them are waiting in excess of the 15 month waiting time target.
She explained that every effort is being made to accommodate some of the patients discommoded. Additional surgery is happening in UHG, but that’s limited. Management IS also in talks with the private hospitals but again, she explained that takes time. In addition they are now seriously considering getting a modular theatre in place, but again the planning involved takes some weeks, at best.
Staff at the theatres in Merlin Park she said have been reassigned to other duties until the theatres are restored.
Tuam based Fianna Fail councillor Donagh Killilea said the explanation bty management is inadequate, insisting that regular maintenance checks were carried out on the structure and if there were problems highlighted he asked why had management not acted on them.He told yesterday’s meeting he was aware of a relevant report that was completed on the structure in 2016.
Galway city councillor Padraig Conneelly told Midwest News today that it is completely unacceptable that people in pain awaiting orthopedic procedures are being forced to wait even longer periods as a result of this emergency.
