Holles Hospital needs extra funds to cover referred preemies, refugees

HEALTH BOARDS could be charged €15,000 a week to treat premature babies brought to the National Maternity Hospital because of a funds shortage.

The Master of Holles St Hospital, Dr Declan Keane, said the annual budget of €40 million did not take into account the number of high-risk pregnancies and premature births with which the hospital must deal.

“If a baby is delivered at 26-28 weeks and is referred to us, it can spend up to 10 weeks in special care at a cost of €15,000 a week. That’s €150,000. It’s easy to see how quickly that can eat into your budget.”