As part of Covid-19 contingency plans Beaumont Hospital has sequestered the Irish Kidney Association’s Renal Support Centre which is located on the grounds of Beaumont Hospital.
The Irish Kidney Association’s thirteen ensuite double bedrooms facility provides free overnight accommodation to kidney patients and their families who are travelling from the country for their appointments, clinics, treatment and transplantation. The handover of the facility takes immediate effect today, 14th March 2020.
Beaumont Hospital is home to the National Kidney Transplant Service in the Republic of Ireland and has the largest renal treatment facility in the country catering for a total of 1027 patients which they manage including 163 haemodialysis, 66 dialysis at home and 798 transplant.
In response to this development Mr. Mark Murphy, Chief Executive of the Irish Kidney Association said, “The IKA’s Renal Support Centre has proven how hotel like accommodation on the campus of a hospital not only offers convenience to its users but it can alleviate an awful lot of unnecessary use of hospital beds when hotel facilities would suffice. People come from all corners of the country for their pre and post transplant hospital care. We are exceptonally proud of the benefits to patients that this facility, which has been operating for twenty years, allows us to provide. We understand that renal patients will be inconvenienced but these are unprecedented times. Alternative accommodation has been organised for our service users. The facility will provide a very suitable asset to Beaumont Hospital in combatting COVID 19.”
A letter was sent to Mark Murphy, Chief Executive of the Irish Kidney Association from Valerie Caffrey, Chief Operations Officer at Beaumont Hospital which stated “on behalf of Beaumont Hospital to inform you we are sequestering the IKA facility currently residing on the campus as part of the hospital’s COVID-19 contingency plans. As such your voluntary staff and service users will not be in a position to occupy the facility during this time. Arrangements will be made to provide alternative accommodation and subsequent reimbursement to your service users throughout the period.”
The IKA’s Renal Support Centre was officially opened on 22nd March 2000 by the then Minister for Health, Micheal Martin TD.
Earlier this week the Irish Kidney Association announced its postponement of Organ Donor Awareness Week 2020 (28th March – 4th April) and asked its volunteer collectors to stand down with CEO Mark Murphy stating that “our overall priority is to keep our patients and carers as safe as possible”. The IKA has put its fundraising online and will concentrate on showing the public the work of the IKA as well as providing specific advice on COVID-19 on its website www.ika.ie.”
As well as promoting the benefits of organ donation for transplantation, the Organ Donor Awareness Week campaign has historically been the flagship week for the Irish Kidney Association and its fundraising drive for over three decades. Proceeds raised through its fundraising supports the work which the Association carries out in advocating and caring for kidney patients and their families as well in the promotion and distribution of the organ donor card.”
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