CYSTIC FIBROSIS campaigners have welcomed the signing yesterday of the contract for a new unit to treat the disease at St Vincent’s hospital in Dublin.
Work on the €22 million development by John Paul Construction is expected to begin immediately. Preparatory work is already under way and the unit is scheduled for completion by mid-2012.
The five-storey unit will provide 100 single, en suite rooms to accommodate patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), liver disease and cancer. It will also provide a 10-bed day unit for patients with cystic fibrosis. At present, eight of St Vincent’s 554 beds are in single rooms and dedicated for cystic fibrosis patients.
The Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland welcomed the development, but said it would continue to press for interim improvements in services in the hospital, including more isolation rooms, while the block is being completed.
Cystic fibrosis advocate Orla Tinsley said yesterday was a historic day for Irish people with the condition.
Despite the delays in advancing the project, Ms Tinsley said she had no doubts about the unit being completed on schedule.
She said the major need now was for a commitment to ringfence 30-35 of the beds for cystic fibrosis patients. This would minimise the risk of infection for people with cystic fibrosis from people with other diseases or infections using the rooms.
Fine Gael health spokesman Dr James Reilly said the signing of the contract was “great news after many false dawns”.
He said it was a victory for cystic fibrosis campaigners. “I would echo the call of the Cystic Fibrosis Association for efforts to be made to improve conditions for CF patients while the new unit is being built.”
The need for dedicated CF centres and a national referral centre at St Vincent’s, was first identified in a 2005 report, but building plans were repeatedly delayed.
Cystic fibrosis primarily affects the lungs and digestive system.
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