THE OPENING of a €85 million cardiac renal centre at Cork University Hospital by Taoiseach, Brian Cowen today has been hailed as a significant development for cardiac and kidney patients throughout Munster.
According to HSE South, “the realisation of the cardiac renal centre at CUH represents the most significant service development in the region in relation to cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery and renal medicine”.
The new centre, which cost €68 million to build and a further €17 million to equip, comprises 141 inpatient beds and 10 catheterisation laboratory recovery places as well as 36 renal dialysis places on the campus of CUH.
The facility represents a significant investment by the HSE, with the new centre providing some 121 cardiac beds including 29 cardiology ward beds and 34 surgical ward beds.It also includes 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.
Among the various cardiac services transferred from elsewhere in the CUH to the new unit are non-invasive cardiology such as echo stress testing, rapid chest pain clinics, heart failure clinics, pre-admission assessment and an outpatients department.
CUH renal physician Dr Liam Plant said the new centre has allowed the transfer of renal services from elsewhere in the hospital and an expansion in the number of dialysis stations from 22 to 35.
“Renal services delivered from one centre will have significant benefits in terms of economies of staffing, much improved environment for patients and for the multidisciplinary team in which to work,” he said, adding that the centre will include some 30 renal ward beds.
CUH general manager Tony McNamara said the additional dialysis units were crucial to the hospital’s ability to offer more suitable times for kidney patients from Cork and beyond to avail of haemodialysis at the hospital.