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Smith opens €3.5 million Special Care Baby Unit at Cavan General Hospital
The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Cavan/Monaghan, T.D., Mr. Brendan Smith has performed the official opening of the re-developed Special Care Baby Unit at Cavan General Hospital.
The re-developed unit, which became operational on 29 April last, provides three fully serviced intensive care cot spaces and three fully serviced high-dependency cot spaces, one of which is situated in a special isolation room. The re-developed unit also includes an enhanced nurse’s station, a dedicated waiting area, a private and quiet room for mothers to feed, express and bond with their babies and a dedicated hostel room for parents. This accommodation room is especially welcome as the need for parents to remain in close proximity to their children during hospital stays to support them in their illness is widely acknowledged, providing a great comfort, both for the baby and for the parents.
Recognising that the significant majority of the €3.5million cost of the unit was provided by the HSE, Minister Smith acknowledged local funding efforts, including donations, sponsored walks, school concerts, book fairs and the Breffni Truck Run, which raised over €80,000 towards the project and related developments in the maternity unit in Cavan General Hospital.
Minister Smith highlighted the importance of the Special Care Baby Unit to the hospital: “ I understand that this unit is the core element of a broader redevelopment and expansion of the maternity facilities in Cavan General Hospital. The other elements include the development of the Midwifery Led Unit in recent years and the ongoing expansion of inpatient bed facilities for expectant mothers, as well as some renovation of labour ward and peri-natal class facilities. The requirement for this redevelopment has come about primarily because of significant increases in maternity and neonatal activity levels at Cavan General over recent years. The number of mothers delivered in the unit has doubled in the last 10 years, peaking in 2008 at almost 2,000 babies born”, he said.
The Minister also emphasised that the re-development of the Special Care Baby Unit was just one element of a very significant improvement in facilities underway at Cavan General Hospital, including the Intensive Care Unit, an Ocology Unit, an MRI Unit, as well as new day service area and Medical Assessment Unit.
“The developments at Cavan General Hospital will be warmly welcomed by the entire population of the County as it reinforces the hospitals position as a first class centre of medical expertise and care. I would like to congratulate General Manager, Mr. Dermot Monaghan and Director of Nursing Mr. Eddie Byrne, as well as all the staff of this fine hospital which will continue to deliver such great care to the local community”, Minister Smith concluded.
