No extra cancer beds for centre of excellence

NO extra cancer treatment beds have been allocated to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital even though it has been designated one of the eight centres of excellence to treat cancer patients.

At present, when the 13-bed inpatient cancer ward is full, patients are dispersed to other parts of the hospital.

While capacity for the care of cancer patients is not an issue at present, hospital sources quoted in the Irish Medical News said that situation could change early next year when patients currently treated at Ennis and Nenagh hospitals will be cared for at the specialist Limerick unit.

Meanwhile, a new state-of-the-art Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) ward has opened its doors at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital.

The newly re-furbished ward accommodates 22 patients, in a mix of four single rooms, four two-bed and two five-bed rooms.

All rooms are equipped with en-suite facilities and every patient’s bed-space comes with a plasma television.

The patients’ beds are new, electric-profiling units, providing the ultimate in patient comfort and care.

A HSE spokesman said: “The ward has been sensitively designed and has an elegant and comfortable feel, with artwork by Rebecca Carroll.

“Every detail has been thought through for its aesthetic effect on the final finished ward. Indeed, the importance of providing a therapeutic environment in which both patients and staff can flourish is evident in this new ward. The holistic needs of the patient, their relatives, visitors and the staff have been considered.”

Dr Mary McAuliffe said the ENT unit provides a comprehensive region-wide service, catering for a population in excess 370,000 and treats patients from as far away as Gort and Tralee.

Dr McAuliffe said: “Of its nature ENT surgery may encompass the simple tonsillectomy to the complex head and neck surgery, sometimes life-threatening and often with life-challenging difficulties surrounding altered facial surgery.

“In addition, many of the patients on ward 2C experience difficulty communicating due to speech or hearing defects. These are the patients cared for by this dedicated team.”

She said he hospital faces many challenges in controlling the potential infections which beset a modern hospital.

“In this ward very careful consideration has beengiven to improvements in safety, infection control, maintenance and the importance of hygiene in a patient care environment,” she said.

Dr McAuliffe said the ward was developed under the stewardship of Sr Carmel O’Sullivan.

Sr O’Sullivan paid a special tribute to the retired ENT consultants, Kevin Manning and Peader Keogh, both of whom had lobbied for the project.