Field hospital opens at UL to cater for non-coronavirus patients

A €1 million, 68-bed field hospital, has been opened at the University of Limerick (UL), to cater for non-coronavirus patients, including those who may have recovered from Covid-19, as part of measures to support hospitals in the region expecting a second surge of cases.

The Interim Care Facility (ICF), with capacity to scale-up to accommodate 84 beds, was erected by members of the Defence Forces over the past two weeks, and is located at the UL Sports Arena.

It has been developed by the HSE to free up-capacity across the UL Hospitals Group, particularly at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) which, prior to the pandemic, was consistently the most overcrowded hospital in the country.

UL president Dr Des Fitzgerald recently announced he is to tender his resignation over personal concerns the coronavirus pandemic would “limit” his ability to perform the role in future.

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The retired cardiologist, who turns 67 in October, and who first mooted the idea of a field hospital on the UL campus, said: “It is likely that there will be patients who have recovered from Covid-19 and this would be the ideal situation to observe their continued recovery from a disease with largely unknown long-term consequences.”

Viewed as a “step-down facility”, it will cater for patients who are well enough to leave hospital but who may need further rehabilitation or are waiting on access to long-term care.

Patients will not be allowed visitors. However, this policy may change in line with national guidelines around combatting the spread of Covid-19.

The ICF has partitioned wards and is fitted-out with a typical ward support accommodation such as “clean” and “dirty” utilities, pharmacy, pantry, staff change, clinical treatment areas, two recreation areas and four enclosed rooms.

It is expected to be in place until at least September with an option to extend until November.

UHL was on Monday morning the most overcrowded hospital with 39 patients waiting on trolleys, according to statistics published by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).

Significant demand

Colette Cowan, chief executive officer of UL Hospitals Group, said the facility “will be a vital strategic element in [the group’s] efforts to manage patient flow at a time when there is such significant demand for our services”.

Ms Cowan said intermediate care plans had been devised “in the event of a resurgence of Covid-19”.

She said she was concerned about a recent rise in numbers of people attending the emergency department at UHL, as the hospital continues to treat Covid-19 patients.

She expected there will be a “surge” of cases of Covid, flu and respiratory-related illnesses at UHL over the winter, which would put increased pressures on the hospital.

Ms Cowan appealed to the public to stay away from the Limerick emergency department unless it was an absolute emergency. “I think there will be a surge but it will probably be a mixture of Covid and flu and I would have concern about winter definitely, that, a lot of patients will come into hospital with respiratory illness, with flu, and with Covid symptoms,” she said.