Galway Bay fm newsroom - A new elective hospital planned at Merlin Park will not be fully up-and-running until at least 2028.
Although Merlin Park was understood to the preferred site for the hospital for years, it was only officially confirmed by Cabinet late last year.
The new elective hospital is envisioned as having eight operating theatres, seven endoscopy suites and nine minor operations rooms.
The long sought project has been touted as a crucial development for years, that'll relieve some of the extraordinary pressure on UHG.
But like many other capital projects in healthcare, it's been an incredibly slow process.
A meeting of the Health Forum West this week has heard that all going well, it'll be at least 2028 before it's fully operational.
It was indicated to Councillor Declan McDonnell that there is an ambition to get some limited capacity running in 2027.
So, all going well, the hospital could be fully built, fitted out and operational within five years - but many will be skeptical of those dates.
