Call To Retain Public Health Services In Passage West
Writes Leo McMahon
Cork County Council’s Carrigaline-Ballincollig Municipal District, at its recent meeting, agreed to write to the Health Service Executive (HSE) re-iterating the importance of retaining its Public Health Centre in Passage West.
This was proposed by Cllr Michael Frick Murphy (SF) who said it was brought to his attention by a number of local people that the centre could be relocated to Carrigaline. He currently awaited a follow up response from the HSE, adding that if it lost a facility like this there would soon be nothing left to re-generate in Passage West.
Cllr Marcia D’Alton (Ind) said the premises at Beach Road was not up to standard so the HSE intended moving most of its functions to the new Primary Care Centre in Carrigaline.
However, she said the HSE was acutely aware of the need for local services in Passage West and it intended keeping a certain element of basic functions public health nurses would do every day in the town. It was also actively seeking an alternative premises in Passage West.
Cllr Seamus McGrath (FF) said there was concern having regard to the fact the town had lost its social welfare (Intreo) office to Carrigaline and there was no bus service between both towns. There was need to re-emphasize the need to keep the services in Passage West as far as possible so that people didn’t have to incur the expense of getting transport to and from Carrigaline.
Cllr. D’Alton said that from her discussions, the HSE was very aware of the need to maintain services in Passage West and the search for an alternative building was genuine and she also suggested it be written to and informed that the MD was very anxious to retain its services in the town. Cathaoirleach Mary Rose Desmond (FF) concurred and this was agreed.
The notice in the window of the health centre at Beach Road lists the following services: public health nurse, community welfare, speech and language therapy and home help organiser. In former times, it was also the venue for meetings of Passage West Town Commissioners.
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