€10m children’s intensive care unit opens

A VITAL intensive care unit for some of the sickest children in the country has been opened at Our Lady’s Hospital in Crumlin.

The facility — which has cost just under €10 million to build — opened its doors yesterday.

As a result of this new development, the number of paediatric intensive care unit beds available at the Dublin facility will rise from 17 to 25 by the end of the year, significantly improving seriously ill children’s ability to access to the care that they need.

Four of these specialist beds became available yesterday, while a further four will come on-stream by the end of the year.

Speaking at the opening, Dr Martina Healy, the director of Our Lady’s Hospital in Crumlin’s intensive care unit, said the development will prove vital to improved patient services.

“The old intensive care facility was wholly inadequate for the care of critically ill children.

“Providing more appropriate conditions for parents will lessen the trauma of having a child in the paediatric intensive care unit.

“Providing better working conditions for staff will also help to retain and recruit specialised staff,” she said, adding: “All the staff and consultants who have worked in the cramped quarters of our previous intensive care unit are very happy to be working in this new facility.

“A better facility can make major improvements for patient care and infection control. We know our staff do an excellent job; this unit will allow them to go that much further for their patients”.

Currently the only two children’s intensive care units in the country are housed at Our Lady’s Hospital in Crumlin and the Children’s University Hospital in Temple Street.