A new year present for Mullingar
The HSE would not be building a new MRI unit at the Midlands Regional Hospital Mullingar next year if it wasn’t for generosity of local people who have raised almost €1m to buy the scanner that will be housed in it, according to the chairman of the fundraising committee.
The region received a major boost just before Christmas when it emerged that the long-called-for MRI unit at Mullingar hospital has been included in the HSE’s service plan for 2020. The HSE has estimates that the €5.5m project will be completed by the end of the 2020 and that the unit will be operation by the end of the first quarter in 2021.
The HSE are funding the construction and operating costs of the new unit, which will be part of the hospital’s expanded Radiology Department, while the Friends of the Regional Hospital Mullingar have raised €950,000 over the last three years to purchase a new scanner.
Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, the chairman of the Friends of the Regional Hospital Mullingar John McGrath said that the inclusion of the MRI unit on the HSE’s service plan “was very much welcomed” and that it is important that project’s milestones are hit on time.
Mr McGrath also paid tribute to the people of Westmeath and Longford for donating €950,000 in such a relatively short period of time. He also revealed that the fundraising campaign was continuing as it is anticipated that the cost of the scanner has risen since the target was set in 2016.
“The money was raised in so many ways – children doing funny hair days, no uniform days, coffee mornings at schools, families climbing Croagh Patrick. There have also been a number of major fundraisers. The Murphy family raised over €200,000 in one night nearly three years ago. They held a gala dinner in the Mullingar Park Hotel in memory of Johnny Murphy on the date of his 40th birthday. We also have a number of major sponsors.
“We are so thankful to the support that the people of Westmeath and Longford have given us. They are great supporters of the hospital.”