Tender for new Portiuncula 50 bed ward to be advertised next week

The tender for the new 50 bed ward block at Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, will be advertised next week, local TD Denis Naughten has confirmed.

The project was due to go to tender earlier this year but is now expected to be advertised on the e-Tenders website on September 30.

Deputy Naughten was informed that the delay had been “primarily due to design development and the carrying out of due diligence of all tender documents”.

The Saolta Group also confirmed that enabling works for the project had allowed a number of onsite issues to be dealt with and that the natural gas and electrical network had been upgraded while the medical gas infrastructure had also been modified and upgraded.

“After I secured the commitment for the ward block development at Portiuncula Hospital from Health Minister Simon Harris there have been a number of delays in the project. It is imperative that this project is now given the priority it deserves within the HSE and that contactors are appointed ASAP,” Deputy Naughten stated.

The Saolta Group has previously said that the total project budget is €15 million which will include a 4,038sqm building with a 50-bed unit, link corridor incorporating lift and storage area. The project will not involve any net increase in beds as the new unit is a replacement block.