The soon to be vacated St Columbanus’ Home and, in particular, the former St Anne’s District Hospital in Killarney must be considered as locations for the new minor injuries clinic that has been confirmed for Killarney, it has been stressed.
Cllr John O’Donoghue said he was delighted to hear that the town was selected for a minor injuries unit as he had campaigned for it relentlessly in his role on the HSE Southern Forum.
“It will provide medical access for the entirety of east and south Kerry while easing the strain on University Hospital Kerry,” he said.
Cllr O’Donoghue added that with the St Columbanus facility and the Killarney Community Hospital to be replaced by the new community nursing unit, which is nearing the completion of construction work off the bypass road, the existing hospital building cannot be overlooked for the new clinic.
“The district hospital would be an ideal fit, in my opinion. I have heard rumours of it being too expensive to retrofit to a modern standard but I do not accept this argument,” the Kerry Independent Alliance councillor said, adding that constructing a new building would be five times the cost or retrofitting.
“It is a fine building which has served generations of families very well and as it is currently a working HSE building, I see no reason why it could not be used for this purpose,” Cllr O’Donoghue insisted.
He said his great fear is that the two magnificent buildings will suffer the same fate as St Finan’s Hospital and be allowed fall into a state of disrepair.
“I propose we write to the HSE and express, in a strongly a manner as possible, our desire to see the district hospital repurposed as a minor injuries clinic incorporating an x-ray facility,” Cllr O’Donoghue said.
Cllr Martin Grady said he too fears that the existing hospitals will be “left to rot” like the St Finan’s building which has now been unoccupied for 12 years.
“The district hospital is an ideal location. It is already an operational hospital and it would take a quick turnover time.
“It would also cost less of the taxpayers’ money than planning and developing a new facility,” Cllr Grady said.
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