Galway Bay fm newsroom - The Health Minister will next week attend a meeting, in which progress on the provision of new beds at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe will be discussed.
Earlier this month, it was confirmed that additional beds would be created by providing a temporary out-patient modular unit.
This would allow the original outpatient department to be converted into a ward consisting of over a dozen single-bed rooms.
However, fears have been raised that the additional beds will not be in place until next year, as we head into the winter period when pressure is typically high.
The matter arose in the Dail this week, when Deputy Denis Naughten stressed the urgent need for the matter to be resolved as soon as possible.
He once again raised the fact that bed space at Portiuncula is down 10 percent due to Covid-19.
Speaking on behalf of Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, Junior Minister Anne Rabbitte said the matter would be discussed at a meeting next week.
