?3.8m palliative centre opens in Tralee
Health Minister Mary Harney opening the ?3.8 million palliative day care unit located on the grounds of Kerry General Hospital, Tralee. Photo by Domnick Walsh/Eye Focus
HUNDREDS of guests attended the opening of Ireland’s first palliative day care centre in Tralee by Minister for Health Mary Harney last Friday.
The centre, which was built at a cost of ?3.8 million, is the result of 17 years of campaigning and fundraising by the Kerry Hospice Foundation (KHF) and is the first of its kind to open in the country.
Members of the KHF’s 19 fundraising committees joined medical staff, politicians and local dignitaries to watch the health minister snip the tape and formally open the facility.
The centre will provide respite day care to terminally-ill patients from the length and breadth of the county, and was hailed as a major boon to health care in the county.
Fundraising for the centre began in 1990 when members of the defence forces stationed at Ballymullen Barracks took part in a sponsored walk across Brandon Mountain. Soon after, the Kerry Hospice Foundation was formed under the guidance of Dr Tom McCormick and 19 fundraising committees were establish around the county.
Since 1990, the committees worked tirelessly to raise funds for the centre and raised a staggering ?3 million for the project. The HSE then agreed to put up a further ?800,000 and cover the cost of running the unit. Last October, the sod was turned on the site at Kerry General Hospital and, following the formal opening on Friday, the first patients crossed the threshold at the weekend.
The KHF is not resting on its laurels though and fundraising work has already commenced on phase two of the project — a full-time facility for 15 patients which will cost in the region of ?3.5 million.
Opening the centre, Minister Mary Harney praised the dedication of the KHF.
“Kerry is very fortunate to have a group like the Kerry Hospice Foundation and I am very impressed by the hard work and staggering fundraising ability of Ted Moynihan and the committees who raised the money for this splendid facility,” she said.
“This is a fantastic and comprehensive facility and it is great for families to know there is a centre like this available for them. I wish the staff and the centre well and hope they enjoy every success,” she added.
Ted Moynihan, one of the Kerry Hospice Foundation’s main fundraisers, said he was very proud to see the centre open.
“This is a great day for the Kerry Hospice Foundation and the people of Kerry. On Good Friday 17 years ago the first steps were taken towards this and now here we are,” he said.
“I want to thank all of our fundraisers and those who donated money to the project. I hope none of them will ever need the hospice but they should know that the hospice will always need them,” said Ted Moynihan.
