Gardaí are once again investigating a serious incident at the Mercy University Hospital in Cork just weeks after a patient there was killed in his bed.
Retired farmer Matthew Healy was killed by a fellow patient on one of the wards last month, sparking widespread shock and sadness across the country.
Gardai have now confirmed damage has been caused at the hospital building in a separate incident.
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The burglary allegedly occurred in early hours of last Friday morning.
A Garda spokesperson told CorkBeo : "Gardaí in Bridewell are investigating a burglary that occurred at a hospital in the early hours of Friday morning 3 rd February 2023 at approximately 3 am.
"A man gained entry and caused criminal damage. No arrests at this time and investigations ongoing."
It's the second criminal incident to occur in the Mercy Hospital in recent weeks after 89-year-old Matthew Healy lost his life after being attacked in a ward in the early hours of Sunday, January 22.
A man has been arrested and charged in connection with this fatality.
In the days after the violent death of the retired farmer from Berrings, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation called for a full security audit of all hospitals.
The INMO pointed out that a major review of this kind has not been undertaken in Irish hospitals since 2016. This latest incident at the Mercy will be of serious concern for staff and management there.
Hospital chiefs are expected to carry out another review of security in the Mercy following this latest incident.
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