By Dan Walsh
The Emergency Department at Wexford General Hospital reopens at 9am tomorrow (Tuesday), five months after the entire hospital was closed to the public following a devastating outbreak of fire that sent flames leaping high above the roof just before 4pm on Wednesday, March 1st.
A major emergency was declared, and entire hospital was closed on health and safety grounds.
The decision was made between Wexford County Council, the HSE, An Garda Siochána and other interested parties and a fleet of ambulances helped clear the building and transport 207 patients to other hospitals.
St. Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin, St. Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny and University Hospital Waterford, others outside the region and nursing homes assisted in the transfers which involved about 100 ambulances.
The reopening of the Emergency Department is good news and a motion congratulating and expressing gratitude and appreciation to “all the management staff, frontline staff, contractors and workers for their dedication, professionalism and outstanding efforts for completing the work done in a highly pressured area”, proposed by Cllr Michael Sheehan, and unanimously supported by all members present was carried at the July meeting of Wexford County Council.
“Furthermore, we resolve to thank all patients and their families for their resilience and patience while the works were being carried out,” stated Cllr Sheehan.
A copy of the motion was sent to the Minister for Health, and the CEO of the HSE, Waterford and Kilkenny County Councils, for consideration.
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