MOTHER AND BABY ROLE RETURNS TO MONAGHAN HOSPITAL

What was described as a “full-circle moment” was celebrated at Monaghan Hospital last week with the official opening of a new ante-natal suite. Ante-natal services transferred to the St Davnet’s Campus in the town in 2004 but they have been restored to the Monaghan Hospital location since June of this year. The hospital’s former dental services area underwent extensive renovation at a cost of €540,000 to ready it to receive the provision, which will be housed in the newly named Kavanagh Suite. The funding was provided by the HSE under various headings.

Since January of last year, 505 women have booked in to avail of the services. The suite encompasses seven clinical rooms and a staff office. There is a parent and baby changing room, and breast feeding facilities. The new service has been given a distinctive and welcoming setting that creates an identity separate to that of the rest of the hospital building. It has a new lighting and heating system in conformity with the prevailing climate action objectives and its bright colours, murals and comfortable seating have evoked approving comment from service users.

The state of the art renovation works were carried out by McGuigan Contractors of Clontibret. Legendary Monaghan poet Patrick Kavanagh has lent his name to the facility. “A lot of Kavanagh’s poetry was in relation to life through reference to the everyday, which is suited to an area like ante-natal,” commented Hospital Hospital Site Manager Lynda McGrory at the official opening. Ms McGrory pointed out the detail of the suite design, with the murals of butterflies and lotus flowers chosen because of their symbolic associations with rebirth. “Like every project there was great learning and like every learning it will prepare us for the next Monaghan…