The Minister for Health today approved a £45 million development for Mullingar General Hospital which will increase the bed capacity from 198 to 296.
The Phase 2B development of the hospital, which services Longford and Westmeath, will see departments such as Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Intensive Care and Isolation facilities enhanced.
Minister Martin said the funds allocation represented a major boost for the Midlands.
Mr Martin also officially opened the new MRI facility in Cappagh Hospital today, which was bought and installed through voluntary fundraising.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Minister described Magnetic Resonance Imaging as an expanding and dynamic field, which is expected to proved a valuable service to patients requiring orthopaedic treatment at Cappagh.
The hospital is also working on a number of other development proposals, including the expansion of its theatre capacity, which were being considered by the Department of Health and the Eastern Regional Health Authority, with a view, according to Mr Martin of "advancing a set of short to medium term investment proposals across the region."
He congratulated the hospital on its progress on reducing waiting lists for orthopaedic procedures. The number of people on the list dropped by 549 from 1,300 in March 2000 to 751 in March this year.