The first phase of the new €284 million Mater adult hospital in Dublin was launched this afternoon by Minister for Health James Reilly.
The hospital’s glass-fronted main entrance on the North Circular Road and its outpatients department were on display and will be open to the public in six weeks time.
The new emergency department, 444-space underground car park, operating theatres, intensive care unit, radiology and 120 single en suite rooms will be rolled out in the second phase, between July and December 2012. Completion of final works will be in May of 2013.
The development will result in reduced waiting times for theatre, outpatient and accident and emergency services and will provide increased privacy, dignity and comfort for patients, according to hospital management. And the addition of 100 per cent single rooms will benefit cardiothoracic, orthopaedic-spinal and oncology patients and will play a significant role in fighting the spread of infection.
By the end of the year the hospital will also have the country’s first out patients “self-registration” check-in service.
Chief executive of Mater Brian Conlan said the hospital would create a perfect environment for delivery of top class care.
“For the 50,000 patients that attend our emergency department, or the 220,000 outpatient attendees each year, the new emergency and outpatient departments are now appropriately sized providing privacy, dignity and comfort with sufficient capacity to meet demand,” he said.
He said the new hospital was “the best kept secret in Ireland”.
