Galway Advertiser 2000/2000_10_05/GA_05102000_E1_010.pdf 

Extracted text

A n g e r at health b o a r d over T u a m ' s Bons Secours closure
by Mary O'Connor

T H E W E S T E R N Health Board came under fire this week from board members for its decision not to buy the Bon Secours Hospital in Tuam which is to close at the e n d of the year. it w a s t h e B o n S e c o u r s the pressure on city W H B ] to w i t h d r a w from people should imagine what Aras Mhuire, its 25-bedded The owners of the 48-bed on Sisters' decision to sell the it will be like for those who negotiations about acquiring c o m m u n i t y nursing unit facility - w h i c h was set up hospitals. She wondered hospital. T h e W H B had no are left without the facility. the Bon Secours Hospital located on the Dublin Road by the Bon Secours Sisters would other services be put input or involvement in that. D r JJ G i l m a r t i n . a was wrong. It has provided side of Tuam. in 1945 and served counties in place in Tuam because a S h e said n e g o t i a t i o n s had r e s p i r a t o r y c o n s u l t a n t at a long established and But W H B m e m b e r s Galway, Mayo, and community hospital was not broken d o w n b e t w e e n UCHG, said he had accepted service over the b e m o a n e d t h e loss of this R o s c o m m o n - had been in needed there. She predicted both groups, the W H B had sympathy for the people of years. You, c e o , as a GP, well established hospital discussion with the W H B the population of the town just decided to explore T u a m . But in fairness, this w o u l d r e c o g n i s e that. We and said they had had high for about seven years about will g r o w by 5 0 to 7 5 per wider options. It had opted was a commercial decision can't dismiss this lightly. It hopes that the health the possibility of it buying cent in the next few years. for e x t e n d i n g t h e b o a r d ' s made on the back of the fact is i m p o r t a n t to m a k e sure authority would acquire it. the hospital o r using it as a own 25-bedded facility, that the Bon Secours Health this facility is not lost, it is a thereby e n s u r i n g the t o w n step-down facility for older TUAM MEETING? A r a s M h u i r e in T u a m Care System (the owners of f a c i l i t y of t h e h i g h e s t kept this prime facility. people. Deputy Ulick Burke b e c a u s e it felt t h e B o n the T u a m hospital) had quality. How can we justify Councillor Kathleen However, the chief (L/rea) said it was Secours hospital was purchased Galvia and were turning away from it if the Quinn (Ballymoe) described e x e c u t i v e of t h e W H B , Dr absolutely necessary that the unsuitable for older people's not going to run two opportunity presents to the hospital's closure as " a Sheelah Ryan, announced WHB hold a special services. hospitals 20 miles apart, he acquire i t ? " terrible t r a g e d y " . She said on Monday that the hospital meeting in Tuam to discuss said. He believed the Cllr Joe Callanan (B/sloe) she thought the W H B would building was unsuitable for the m a t t e r . H e s a i d w h i l e W H B ' s hands were tied in said the board should be have taken it over and used specialist older people's NO MOVE T O discussions had been the matter. t r y i n g to e n s u r e that an it as a s t e p - d o w n facility. services and the board had ongoing between the Bon GALWAY Cllr Pat Kilbane ( M a y o ) excellent service is given to This would have alleviated d e c i d e d i n s t e a d to e x t e n d Secours Health Care System A s p o k e s p e r s o n for t h e said he shared p e o p l e ' s the T u a m people. He and the W H B for years, the B o n S e c o u r s H o s p i t a l in anxieties and recommended s u g g e s t e d a m e e t i n g of first health board m e m b e r s T u a m s a i d on W e d n e s d a y that the board explore every interested parties to discuss h e a r d of t h i s " i m p e n d i n g t h a t it d e e p l y r e g r e t t e d possibility about e n s u r i n g the closure. d i s a s t e r " w a s in t h e local having to close the facility. the facility is kept. Cllr Mary Hoade Tuam Road m e d i a . H e said it w a s not But it had no option because Dr Sheelah Ryan (Headford) said the hospital Border Floor Tiles good enough that m e m b e r s it has not had full Oranmore acknowledged the had served the north were treated in this way. occupancy for some time. from 50p per piece members' concerns but said G a l w a y area well and " T h e decision [by the She rejected reports that

ROCCA TILES

Chinaman Takeaway

patients will be transferred^ to the Bon Secours Hospital i Galway (formerly Galvia). T h e T u a m hospital, which provides a general, medical, and s u r g i c a l service, will j u s t wind d o w n gradually and stop taking patients, she! said. " W e a r e t w o separate h o s p i t a l s u n d e r the same o w n e r s h i p . O u r patients won't be moved to Galway, t h a t h o s p i t a l h a s its own complement of patients." She said the Bon Secours H o s p i t a l T u a m had been negotiating with the WHB for a n u m b e r of years and w a s h o p e f u l t h e board would purchase the hospital o r u s e it a s a step-down facility. However, now that the takeover was not taking place, the hospital would be closed at the end of the year.

P h 792211

WAKE UP! SMOKE ALAR
DON'T WAIT UNTIL I T IS T O O L A T E
* E v e r y house must have smoke alarm(s) * E v e r y s m o k e a l a r m m u s t be c h e c k e d w e e k l y to ensure that it w o r k s * N e w h o u s e s since 1 J u l y 1 9 9 8 r e q u i r e m a i n s operated s m o k e alarms ( w i t h battery b a c k u p )

CHECK YOUR

1

More information/leaflets on fire safety in the home may he obta
Galway Fire Brigade, Fire Station, Fr Griffin Rd, Galway. Tel: (091) 585555/588984