Wexford General Hospital’s Emergency Department has reopened just five months after it was shut down by a major fire in the largest ever medical evacuation in the State.
The blaze at the south-eastern hospital resulted in services being drastically reduced.
From 9am on Tuesday morning, patients requiring emergency medical care can now again present at the hospital, having been forced to present at neighbouring hospitals such as University Hospital Waterford and St Luke’s General hospital in Kilkenny since the fire ripped through the building on March 1st.
It was feared the hospital would close its emergency department for much longer and it remains unclear how much the refurbishment will cost but it is expected to reach millions of euro.
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The department reopening without any fanfare attached was described as a “significant day” in the hospital’s history and a large source of relief to the people of Wexford who have gone without an emergency department for five long months.
Linda O’Leary, the hospital’s general manager said: “We were acutely aware of the stress and strain caused to the people of Wexford by not having a fully functioning ED over the past five months.”
Ms O’Leary said that to have the section reopened so quickly is “testament to all involved in the restoration project at the hospital”.
However, members of the public are reminded that full bed capacity has not been restored yet.
“To get to this point today has taken determination and huge effort from very many people at our staff in Wexford General Hospital,” Ms O’Leary explained.
She pointed out that it would be “remiss” not to mention their colleagues in University Hospital Waterford, St Luke’s Kilkenny and St Vincent’s University Hospital.
“They have supported us and the patients of County Wexford tremendously over the last five months. The care and attention they gave our patients was unwavering. We owe a huge debt of gratitude towards these hospitals,” Ms O’Leary noted.
Builders have been working at Wexford General Hospital for the last five months following the blaze.
More than 200 patients along with hospital staff were evacuated from the medical facility and brought to hospitals across the southeast, Dublin, Cork and Navan.
Senior Assistant Chief Fire Officer Ray Murphy following the fire being successfully extinguished said that a piece of machinery was most likely the cause of the fire in a plant room on the roof.