Construction to start on 2 hospital projects
Construction is set to begin soon on 2 projects on the CUH campus, it was announced this week.
The hospital is set to commence advance works on the construction of the Pediatric Care Building and helipad projects in the northern section of the campus. Both projects have been separately granted planning permission by Cork City Council.
The works include the realignment of the existing northern campus road, the undergrounding of the existing overhead power line along the northern boundary of the hospital and the removal of existing trees and shrubs along the northern boundary embankment, which were planted in the 1980s.
David Donegan, CEO of Cork University Hospital, said: “This is a welcome development in the progress of the 2 projects. It is necessary work to ensure that CUH can provide better specialist care to the patients across south of Ireland who use our services, to centralise paediatric hospital care in Cork, as well as to provide much quicker access for patients being airlifted into and out of Cork in an emergency.”
CUH has said tree removal works will be undertaken by a specialist tree care company in full compliance with health and safety legislation, with prior inspection of a nesting bird and bat survey by qualified ecologist.
The retained hedgerow along the northern boundary of the hospital will be retained and protected during the works.
The tree removal works will be then followed by the rerouting and undergrounding of the overhead powerline. Once underground, works will progress to the realignment of the campus road with construction of a new retaining wall by the spring 2024. The helipad works should be completed by the end of 2023.
The lands north of the access road will be landscaped and extensively planted with a mixture of evergreen or deciduous hedge and tree planting in the next available planting season, the hospital has said.
When completed, the Pediatric Care Building will provide centralised children’s services for Cork city and enhanced supra-regional services to the south of Ireland, including:
• New inpatient wards with single rooms and parent sleeping facilities
• High dependency rooms
• Palliative/end of life care rooms
• Disability access rooms
• Pediatric operating theatres
• Pediatric radiology space
• New school
• Children’s play/recreation facilities
• Haematology/oncology for children with cancers
Pediatric specialties within the new facility will include general pediatrics, respiratory, allergy, cardiology, neurology, neurodisability, diabetes, endocrinology, ENT, surgery, community pediatrics, pediatric assessment unit/ambulatory care.