27 January 1999

The Minister for State at the Department of Health, Dr. Tom Moffatt performed the official opening of the Mayo/Roscommon Hospice Foundation's Dr. Bernard Moran Unit at the sacred Heart Hospital, Castlebar at the weekend.

He also unveiled a specially commissioned bust of the late Dr. Moran who played a pivotal role in establishing the Foundation.

Minister Moffatt paid tributes to the members of the Mayo/Roscommon Hospice when he performed the ceremony.

Dr. Moffatt said he was delighted to have the opportunity to see at first hand the new facilities. He was always ready to take the opportunity to meet with people involved in providing for the needs of older people and particularly those who were terminally ill and in need of constant care and attention. He expressed his support and encouragement to all those involved in the unit.

He recalled that the Mayo/Roscommon Hospice was founded in 1992 when a need for a hospice for the region was identified.

Since then the hospice service had gone from strength to strength. Numerous individuals, groups and organisations had provided the dedication and support which had enabled the service to develop into a comprehensive specialist palliative care service.

Dr. Moffatt said the two-bedded purpose-built unit, developed in partnership with the Western Health Board, enabled patients to live out the remainder of their lives in comfort and with dignity, surrounded by friends, family and loved ones.

To provide that care, the hospice team dealt with the physical, psychological and spiritual needs of the patient and family.

He was also aware of the 'excellent work' done by the medical team and the support groups who provided the hospice service in the Mayo/Roscommon area.

Referring to the late Dr. Bernard Moran, he said he worked tirelessly for his patients and promoted the development of the hospice movement in the West. His untimely death left a great gap in the life of his family and friends who remembered him so fondly.

He thanked Mr. John Tully, chairman of the Mayo/Roscommon Hospice Foundation for extending the invitation.

"All concerned with the hospice unit can be proud of what they have achieved and I am confident that this unit will make a significant contribution to reaching out to comfort and care for those who are terminally ill', he said.

The unit was blessed in an ecumenical ceremony by Archbishop Michael Neary and the Church of Ireland Bishop, the Right rev. Richard Henderson, assisted by chaplains Fr. Long and Fr. Gallagher.

Speaking at the ceremony, the chairman of the Western Health Board, Mr. Pat Kilbane said he was proud to see coming to fruition the dedication, work and commitment which had driven the work of the Mayo/Roscommon Hospice Foundation since its inception in the early 1990's.

As chairman of a large state funded corporate body, having responsibility for a wide and varied range of health services based in hospitals and in the community, he was only too well aware of the effort which had to be invested in bringing any project from the planning stage to finality.

"That process in many ways is all the more complex when undertaken by a voluntary organisation without a full time organisational backup.

"This did not hinder the Hospice Foundation which in the course of a few short years translated a worthy and forward thinking vision into the physical structure which we have just seen.

"I cannot pay enough tribute to all those members of the Foundation who have invested so much energy and dedication, not just to thus unit but also to the other plans which they are so actively proceeding with at this stage'.

Mr. Kilbane said the Sacred Heart Hospital, traditionally was a long stay facility for the elderly could now boast a wide range of services. It has a Rehabilitation Unit for the elderly serving the community and the local general hospital, it provides active Day Hospital and respite care, as well as activation programmes for the elderly and only a short few years ago developed one of its wards as a specialised Dementia unit.

Mr. Kilbane continued: "I record my appreciation to the Foundation for totally funding the building outlay which was in the region of £120,000 and jointly we have the kind of on-going funding arrangements in place which will firmly secure future services.'

Connaught Telegraph - News & Sport - January 1999