The Emergency Department in Wexford General Hospital is re-opening on Tuesday 25 July at 9am.
The ED was forced to close on March 1st due to the damaging large parts of the facility following a fire.
It was feared the hospital would close its ED for much longer.
Last month it was announced that the Emergency Department would reopen today.
While the ED service will be reinstated, it's understood that the hospital has not yet returned to full bed capacity.
The Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG) released a statement this morning welcoming the news.
The ED service reopening is a significant day for the staff and management at the hospital. It also comes as a great relief to the people of Wexford.
According to WGH Manager, Linda O’Leary, “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. To have the ED reopened so quickly is testament to all involved in the restoration project at the hospital.”
Although the ED service has been restored at WGH, full bed capacity has not been reached. It is expected to take 3 to 4 weeks before full bed capacity is returned.
“To get to this point today has taken determination and huge effort from very many people at our staff in Wexford General Hospital.
"However, it would be remiss of me not to mention our 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 continued.
Extra Pressure
Hospitals in the south-east of the country including University Hospital Waterford and St Luke’s General Hospital in Kilkenny have been dealing with additional emergency patients from Wexford since the fire in March 2023.
Builders have been working at Wexford General Hospital for the last four months following the blaze at the 280 bed facility which resulted in the largest medical evacuation in the history of the State.
More than 200 patients along with hospital staff were evacuated from the medical facility and brought to hospitals across the south-east, Dublin, Cork and Navan.
HSE
The latest information regarding services in WGH can be found here.
As always if you need urgent care, please ring 999/112 or attend your nearest ED.
Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website Beat102103.com.
