Staff at the biggest hospital in the west have said that two wards containing 100 beds have yet to be opened six months after the completion of an £11 million phase-one redevelopment.
They claimed the wards at University College Hospital Galway remained closed despite being fully equipped, while patients were still accommodated in corridors. Three new theatres also remained closed, as did an overnight facility for patients in casualty. A nursing spokesperson said staff were disillusioned that so many facilities had been provided and yet only a small number of them had been brought into use.
A Galway West TD, Mr Padraic McCormack (FG), has called on the hospital management and the Minister of State, Mr Frank Fahey, to explain why the beds were still not in use. "Over £11 million worth of public money has been spent on UCHG and no thing seems to be happening."
He said there had to be a reason why the beds were not being opened and the hospital management and Mr Fahey had a duty to say what had gone wrong.