Two babies have been born in Wexford General Hospital on Friday afternoon just two days after the building was badly damaged in a fire.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar visited the hospital and said that the damage was so extensive that it could take “weeks to months” before it is fully reopened.
Over 200 patients had to be evacuated from the hospital outside Wexford Town on Wednesday when a fire started. It is still unclear what started the blaze and investigations are currently underway to find out what caused the building to catch alight.
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Maternity services reopened at the hospital on Friday morning, with hospital manager Linda O’Leary confirming that a baby was born later that afternoon.
Outpatient services will resume at the hospital on Monday.
She said: “I'm very happy to report we've had our first baby born safely and well this afternoon.
“We will be working to a phased reopening when we are assured by the technical experts that it is safe to do so.
“Just for people to have confidence and patience with us and we are doing our very best to work as quickly and as safely as possible.”
Ms O’Leary said that the technical results will be made available to the HSE Estates when they are complete but it is unclear when this will be.
The Taoiseach visited the site of the hospital on Friday and said that the fire and water damage was “extensive”. He paid tribute to the hospital and emergency staff who responded to the incident as he said that they were “blessed” that no one was hurt.
Mr Varadkar said: “It’s going to be weeks to months before the hospital is back up and running fully. But that is the objective.
“I've given everyone here the assurance that the Government will do everything we can, everything humanly possible, to support the efforts to get this hospital up and running full service as soon as it can be done.
“But with the best will in the world that's likely to be weeks to months at this stage.
“Every hospital has an evacuation plan. You never think you're going to have to use it. But it was used here and it did work really well.”
Mr Varadkar said that while large parts of the hospital are unaffected, the rest is very damaged and will need “significant structural works”.
In the short term, he said, the Government is assessing whether modular build or mobile units can be brought to the site to get services back up and running.
People who are living in Wexford cannot access the hospital’s emergency department unit and will be sent by ambulance to another hospital. This, the Taoiseach said, includes hospitals in Kilkenny and Waterford, as well as St Vincent’s in Dublin.
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