A NUMBER of construction projects are underway at UL Hospitals Group as part of the response to the national public health emergency.
Contractors have been engaged by HSE Estates to complete the works at University Hospital Limerick and at Croom Orthopaedic Hospital. This includes the design and build of two 24-bed single room en-suite blocks, one at each location. Both of these projects are being delivered by Clancy Construction and are anticipated to be completed by July.
Both projects involve a rapid build steelframe system that facilitates an earlier start to construction work and a more streamlined process than would be possible on traditional builds. It allows for certain elements of the buildings, such as en-suite bathrooms, to be manufactured off-site and brought to the hospitals as completed pods for installation, so there will be fewer truck movements to and from the hospitals during construction.
Both facilities are permanent structures, with scope for expansion vertically at a later stage. They are going ahead as part of the Government’s National Action Plan in response to COVID-19 and both projects are also in line with UL Hospitals Group’s ongoing strategic development plans, addressing in particular the identified shortages of single rooms in both hospitals and the requirement to replace their multi-bed nightingale ward areas.
A number of other projects have also commenced at UHL in recent days. These include, a 14-bed block being developed by Western Building Systems with a targeted completion date of June 2020. This is separate to the 60-Bed Block being developed by the same firm and which is on course to be handed over before the end of September. It is anticipated the 60-bed block will be open to patients before the end of the year.
Works are currently ongoing by BOC Gases to enhance oxygen storage supply and flowrates at the hospital to meet the anticipated additional requirement for oxygen.
Additional temporary units are being supplied by Portakabin (Ireland) Limited by the end of April to provide an additional six treatment bays to increase the capacity of the Medical Assessment Unit
UL Hospitals Group CEO Colette Cowan commented, “On the UHL site, foundations for the new 24-bed block were poured last Thursday, and since then, the building has been rising rapidly out of the ground. Construction personnel from the various contractors at UHL and Croom have been working long hours to help us add capacity in response to the pandemic.
