THE OPENING in 2010 of an €85 million cardiac-renal centre at Cork University Hospital will be of great assistance to patients with heart and kidney conditions throughout Munster, according to Minister for Health Mary Harney.
Ms Harney said yesterday that work on the new 151-bed cardiac/ renal centre at CUH, which started in July 2007, was two months ahead of schedule. She expected the facility to be completed in January 2010 and to open later that year after a nine-month equipping and commissioning period.
During a visit to the site for a topping-out ceremony, Ms Harney said the facility represented a significant HSE investment, with the new centre providing 121 cardiac beds, including 29 cardiology ward beds and 34 surgical wards beds.
Consultant cardiologist at CUH Dr Peter Kearney said the new facility with two operating theatre suites would "mark a significant improvement in access and technology for the public". It would also include 10 intensive care unit beds, 12 high-dependency beds, eight coronary-care beds, a 10-bed step-down unit and an eight-bed specialist monitoring unit, as well as 10 recovery places.
CUH renal physician Dr Liam Plant said the renal dialysis centre would provide 35 treatment places and 30 ward beds and would enable CUH to meet capacity requirements for haemodialysis in 2010.
