The medical and research foundation of Crumlin Children’s Hospital has launched an appeal for €8 million in funding to help renovate its cancer ward and to build a new cardiac facility.
The largest paediatric hospital in the country said it needed to upgrade its old and cramped wards “so that children who are sick now can be cared for in quality facilities today”.
Dr Orla Franklin, consultant paediatric cardiologist at Our Lady’s Hospital said children were sick “right now”.
“Their illnesses ignore time and circumstances.”
Dr Franklin said the hospital treated 130,000 children each year, and carried out 550 heart surgeries.
“Children are fighting aggressive cancers. These tough life struggles are happening in cramped and out of date facilities. This has to change.”
Currently, the children’s cancer ward – St John’s – has no private rooms for the most critical or terminally ill children and no private bathroom for patients or their families, the doctor said.
The cardiac wards were “old, cramped and not fit for purpose” and parents of very sick cardiac patients were sleeping on cramped corridors and wards.
With the slogan Sick Children Are Out of Time, the fundraising campaign, will include national radio, newspaper and billboard ads.
The Children’s Medical Research Foundation, the hospital’s fundraising umbrella organisation, is making a direct appeal to Irish people to help raise the funding.
It has committed €4 million to the children’s cancer ward and another €4 million for a new cardiac critical facility.
Dr Franklin said Irish people had consistently been the greatest supporters of children’s medical care and that public support had always been the catalyst for the Crumlin hospital’s success.
Planning permission has been granted for the cancer ward and the cardiac unit. Crumlin Hospital has put out to tender for the design-build contract for the cardiac unit, and is at post-tender stage for the cancer ward.
A spokeswoman said it was hoped both projects would be completed within 12 months and that work would have to start as soon as possible.
She said the appeal for funding was intended to reach members of the public, philanthropic sources and institutions and did not exclude government funding.
Funding for the projects had been allocated by the previous government as long ago as 2008, but it was dropped as the economic circumstances changed.
The 265-bed hospital facilitates 26,500 in-patients and day-care patients each year. Some 31,500 children are treated in the emergency department and 80,000 children are cared for as out-patients.
The campaign can be contacted via the lo-call number1890 507 508, the website.fixcrumlin.ie or mobile phone users may text ‘Crumlin’ to 51000.