Mallow hospital news “an early CHRISTMAS present for the North Cork region”

Management, staff and the many supporters of Mallow General Hospital were delighted last Wednesday when news broke that a 48-bed block will be be built on the site, with work expected to start early in 2021. The development will facilitate an increase in the number of elective surgical procedures at the hospital, helping to reduce waiting lists and workload pressures on city hospitals. The news is a major boost for the hospital, and has been warmly welcomed by the people who live in the catchment area which extends all over North Cork and into Co. Limerick.
Noel O’Connor, Treasurer of the Friends of Mallow Hospital said, “the proposal to build a 48-bed new block on the hospital campus is ‘music to the ears’ of the committee members. It will facilitate an increase in the number of elective surgical procedures in the hospital. It is also wonderful to hear that work on this new block could start in 2021.
“Over the years, the Friends have engaged in fundraising to provide necessary equipment that the HSE were unable to fund due to budget restrictions. With the banking and housing crisis that Ireland experienced in the years following 2008, the money raised by the Friends, primarily through church gate collections, became very important for the purchase of necessary equipment to enhance the wonderful services provided in the hospital by the doctors and nurses. In the last 10 years, €300,000 was spent by the Friends in supporting the improvement of services in the hospital, thus ensuring that necessary equipment was purchased, ensuring an even better quality service to the patients.”
“The Friends will continue to support Mallow General Hospital. This, the year of Covid 19, has been a difficult year for the Friends, as we had to suspend our church gate collections. However, our organisation will continue to raise funds in newer ways which we will outline to the public in the new year. In conclusion, let me thank all those who supported the hospital by contributing to the church gate collections over the last 10 years and also, of course, a special thank you goes out to those who organised the collections, and not forgetting to thank those who stood at the church gates at these collections.”
Mallow-based Labour TD Sean Sherlock, said he was delighted with the news. “I think this is a wonderful vote of confidence in the hospital,” he said. “We’ve been saying it for decades – that this hospital is an excellent hospital, that it provides excellent care, and has excellent staff with excellent outcomes for patients. It’s great to see that the HSE realise this.
It means that there is absolutely a future for MGH,” he said.
“We have always been ambitious for Mallow General Hospital because of the excellence of the staff and its ideal location. Medicine is changing rapidly. More medical care is being delivered in short-stay settings like Mallow. That is supported by activity levels that I am regularly monitoring. We have our Endoscopy Suite and our Medical Assessment Unit. This means we will be able to deliver more for people in Mallow General Hospital. I would love to see more rehabilitative care happening locally so that we don’t have to see so many Cork people having to travel to places like Dún Laoghaire. We need to be ambitious for the next chapter and realise that we have a gem of a hospital,” he said.
Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North West, Michael Moynihan has welcomed the news that a new 48-bed block will be built at Mallow General Hospital. “I am absolutely delighted to welcome this massive investment in Mallow General Hospital, and this news will come as an early Christmas present for the entire North Cork region. The new 48-bed unit will be constructed on the lands around the Old Fever Hospital,” he said.
“This project will be delivered under the fast track planning legislation for major projects, and the development is expected to be built and operational within 12 months. There are further plans to develop a 40 bed Rehabilitation Unit, and this is a great boost to the town of Mallow during these difficult times to see this important project commencing,” he added.
“This represents the single greatest investment in health in North Cork in a generation, and I am particularly delighted to see this move towards a greater distribution of services and facilities around the county. There has been too much emphasis on centralising services in recent years, and Mallow General Hospital has a fantastic track record in delivering exceptional health care.
“This is a landmark day for Mallow General Hospital, and for the community that it serves so well – like so many families in this area, Mallow General Hospital is very close to my heart, and I am delighted to welcome this fantastic news for Mallow and North Cork”, concluded Deputy Moynihan.
Fianna Fáil TD for Cork East James O’Connor has welcomed the news, saying, “This is a significant vote of confidence in Mallow Hospital and health care across Cork County and the North Cork region health facilities. Mallow General Hospital has a critical role to play for the future of health care in rural Ireland. This expansion will allow for improvement on the level of elective procedures carried out at the hospital.
“This expansion is due to the hard work of the staffing community at Mallow General Hospital who work tirelessly to put the welfare of patients above all else. I want to thank them for their dedication and hard work, this year in particular. I know that this expansion will ease pressure on the hospital and bring great comfort for communities right across Cork,” he said.
Cllr. Gearóid Murphy said, “I would like to warmly welcome the announcement of the extension to Mallow Hospital and to congratulate the hospital staff and everyone who worked to bring this to fruition. This extension will allow the hospital to provide new services in rehabilitation and other areas which are badly needed in North Cork, and I know that many local people including myself have worked to highlight this.”