Just 30 patients remain at Wexford Hospital following blaze
Ray Murphy said he expected the hospital could be “back up and running” within days. Picture: Mary Browne
All but 30 of the more than 200 patients who were being treated at Wexford Hospital when fire broke out last night have been transferred out.
A senior officer with Wexford fire services has said that the damage to the hospital is “medium to small”, the fire was “not large” and had been confined to a small area in a plant room on the roof of the building.
Ray Murphy said he expected the hospital could be “back up and running” within days.
The fire was in a section over a central hub which included maternity and paediatric wards as well as the intensive care unit, he explained.
The plant room contained the heating system, ventilation, air conditioning along with flammable material, all of which would have been “very, very safe” he said when operating under normal conditions.
Mr Murphy told RTÉ radio's he suspected it was a piece of equipment which would have started the fire.
“Maybe a pump. Or it could have been a mortar or a belt or something to that effect. But that still remains to be analysed," he said.
Fortunately the fire service was familiar with the building and already had a plan in place, added Mr Murphy.
There was a very strong fire safety team in the hospital too. He said he would expect the hospital to reopen very soon, within days.
“We know they can certainly start getting back up and running in days.
"But obviously to get the 207 patients back in, it's going to take probably weeks and months. But I can see the hospital turning this around.
"Certainly in the next couple of days, they're going to start putting the building together again.”
According to Wexford TD Verona Murphy, many people are now concerned about missed appointments and when services will be restored.
She said: “My primary focus as the public representative will be the restoration of services. And there's been a lot of controversy in the last fortnight here in Wexford about the proposed 96-bed block for Wexford General Hospital.
“We now have a prime opportunity in which to fast-track that process regardless of where it is. It's time to look at it now and to see how restoration and the new bed block can be incorporated." Outpatients will be advised.
“I will certainly be engaging with the hospital as to where those services and how people are going to interact. The contingency arrangements for all of those services, including the deployment of staff, there's a shortage of staff all over the country, but obviously families are concerned about childcare, about school and times, everything.
When asked where patients would go now, Ms Murphy said in an emergency they should call the ambulance service.
“Everything needs to be done, all the stops need to be pulled out to ensure that the hospital is restored to working order as soon as possible and that as many of the staff that are employed make it from frontline to catering to administration are restored to their jobs in Wexford general as soon as possible.”
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said that he has been in contact with the Attorney General about seeking planning derogations to allow the faster construction of new hospitals.
The minister was also speaking on from Wexford where he expressed his commitment for plans for a new 96-bed block.
Mr Donnelly said he was not satisfied with the pace at which hospitals were built. He pointed out that during the pandemic a 72-bed block was built in Kilkenny in nine months using modular building technology.
“That's how we have to do these things in the future. It can't take years and years and years for appraisal and planning and tendering. So I'm working with Government colleagues and the Attorney General and HSE and my department to say we have to do this fundamentally quicker.
"And so what I'm putting together at the moment and the Wexford block is part of this rapid build programme across the country.
“What I can tell you is, not only have I spoken to the hospital management today about putting that block in place quickly, and not only do we know where it’s going to be - we were standing on the area where the 96-bed block is going to be - what I’m saying is, the commitment from me and from Government is that we’re going to do it quicker than these things normally happen."
Sinn Féin’s health spokesperson David Cullinane has said that patient safety has to come first when asked how quickly Wexford General hospital could reopen.
“We all want the hospital to be opened as quickly as possible. I spoke to management at University Hospital Waterford, and they say they stand ready to support the hospital in Wexford. They have taken ICU patients and critical care patients.
“Obviously community services are being looked at through nursing home capacity, private hospital capacity may have to be used as well. It's a massive undertaking to evacuate that level of patients and obviously credit has to go to all of those who are involved in that,” he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.
Mr Cullinane went on to highlight "capacity problems" in our hospitals.
He said: "We're talking about hospitals in Waterford, in Kilkenny, in Tipperary, Navan and Dublin having to take patients. And we know that hospitals are operating at near 100% capacity.
"So that again echoes the point that has been made by many people, including myself, that we need more capacity, more beds, more staff in hospitals.
“Obviously, we need more capacity in the south east and obviously any additional beds that can be put in place will help. I know from talking to hospital management in Waterford that say they will do what they can.
“But I have to make the point that hospitals since the summer into the autumn and the winter have been operating at near 100% capacity. So it's difficult when we hit a crisis point for hospitals to be able to respond.
"And that's why patients had to travel far, because the capacity simply wasn't in the hospitals in the region. So whatever additional capacity can be put in place should be put in place.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has expressed his shock following the blaze and said the Government will do whatever is required in the aftermath of this emergency.”
Firefighters were called to the hospital at approximately 4pm yesterday evening.
The evacuation operation continued through the night and will continue on into today.
Members of the National Ambulance Service are being assisted by the Order of Malta and Lifeline Ambulance Service in transferring the remaining patients.
They are being moved to several facilities including St. Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny, University Hospital Waterford, as well as St. Vincent’s and the Mater Hospital in Dublin.
In a statement, the Ireland East Hospital group said the process will take up to 24 hours.
A major emergency was declared at the site yesterday evening, after a section of the building went up in flames.
The hospital's accident and emergency department will remain closed until further notice, and all elective procedures and outpatient appointments scheduled for this week have been cancelled.
Anyone with a query regarding the transfer of a loved one can call 053 915 3012.
