infrastructure and construction report
Emerging trends in infrastructure
Rebuilding health infrastructure for a post-Covid world Jim Curran, National Director of Estates for the Health Service Executive (HSE) outlines how the Covid-19 pandemic has forced the health sector into fast-tracking infrastructure projects and how it will inform the rebuilding of that infrastructure in a post-pandemic world. “There was quite a stark ask in relation to what was needed at the beginning of the pandemic,” Curran recounts. “Up to 10,000 beds were needed, we knew that we could not provide these overnight but that we had to act as quickly as possible to bring all our capacity into use. A lot of work was undertaken over a very short period in order to bring facilities back into use. A total of €240 million was invested in establishing some new facilities, such as test centres and swabbing centres.” Field hospital plans were put in place should the worst have come to worst, with the Citywest Convention Centre and Hotel among the sites acquired on a licensed basis for this possibility. Thankfully, while the health system was under significant pressure, it did not result in the utilisation of field hospitals, Curran emphasises. “Ultimately, we delivered capacity for circa 600 additional beds if required and that was achieved very quickly,” he says. “Thankfully we did not have to use the beds in Citywest but we are using the facility for other things such as outpatient clinics, test centres and vaccination centres. Our testing centres have been established nationally, with different models attempted. The most effective is the drive-through model where people drive into large car parking areas.” Along with pressure on niche aspects of health infrastructure such as medical gas
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