Sir, – Following Westley Barnes’s article (Opinion, May 22nd), I would like to share some very welcome developments at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, which directly benefit our cancer patients and their families.
This is a very significant year because we are opening two state-of-the art facilities – a new cardiac ward and new cancer ward, the first phase of which is already in operation. When completed, the new cancer ward will contain 19 individual en-suite rooms, along with vastly improved medication and treatment rooms and facilities for staff and parents. The first phase of the new cancer ward is already complete and we have seven individual en suite rooms along with a new bone marrow transplant unit. The next phase will be open in August. This includes a complete refurbishment of the existing St John’s Ward.
Our new cardiac ward will open in September with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities for both patients and their families.
The welfare of our patients in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, is the single most important priority for our care teams. While staff and patients have endured difficult and constrained conditions due to the age of our building, we have worked hard to make sure that the care that our patients receive consistently meets the highest standards.
More than €8 million is being spent on these two developments. This has been made possible through the fund-raising efforts of communities right around the country, who have responded to the “Fix Crumlin.ie” campaign. We are grateful for every cent we receive from communities and these funds go directly towards improving facilities for our patients. – Yours, etc,
LORCAN BIRTHISTLE,
Chief Executive
Our Lady’s Children’s
Hospital, Crumlin,
Dublin 12.