New oncology unit for Kerry – Just Do It!

The HSE has had such a dreadful time of late – resulting from appalling systemic and personnel failures such as the CAMHS disaster in Kerry, as well as a serious of avoidable deaths in hospitals in other parts of the country – that it’s important to praise the organisation when they do the right thing.

And that’s precisely what has happened with the proposed development of a new custom-designed oncology and haematology unit at UHK (University Hospital Kerry) in Tralee. The plan is to build the new oncology unit on the ground floor of a major 96-bed hospital block, the oncology unit being entirely separate with its own entrance.

The importance of this announcement (see Page 6) cannot be overstated. This new oncology unit is urgently needed to cater for the large number of our own family members and friends here in Kerry who are impacted by one cancer or another.

It is a sad fact that historically, as in many other areas of public spending, Kerry has not been treated fairly when it comes to on-location, broad-range oncology services.

People like Kerry County Councillor Mikey Sheehy – himself a cancer survivor – and the advocacy group Comfort for Chemo Kerry have worked long and hard to ensure this oncology unit is provided for our own cancer victims. Fair play to them all and they deserve our deep appreciation for all their efforts.

The announcement that the oncology unit would be incorporated into the new hospital block at UHK was made by the HSE’s Daniel Clifford. Such incorporation of the unit in the new block is seen as a way to deliver the facility more promptly.

And that’s precisely the point.

Now that the unit has been promised, the HSE should get their skates on and, in tandem with the Government, ensure that the necessary planning, design, groundworks and contracts, and whatever, are expedited to make all this happen at the earliest opportunity.

We all know that such building projects take time, but we don’t want to see anybody make a meal out of it, or a goddamn series of interminable banquets as is happening with the infamous National Children’s Hospital in Dublin – an utter disgrace.

As Donal Cantillon of Comfort for Chemo Kerry reminds us, every patient in Kerry should have local access to high-quality cancer treatment in a modern, purpose-built set-up.

That’s not too much to ask for in a country that can well afford such facilities.

Now that we have the plan and the green light, we need to drive on at double-quick pace.

As the ad says, Just Do it!