A short “Hand Over” ceremony today marked a significant milestone in the construction of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Noble’s Hospital.
Minister for Health and Social Care, Howard Quayle MHK said: “From this point the Department can move forward with commissioning activities and prepare to open the NICU’s doors in a few weeks’ time. The new Unit will offer the very highest standards of care for critically ill babies, conforming to the latest best practice and perinatal medicine standards. It will be a state of the art Neonatal Unit of which the Island can rightly be proud.”
The Minister thanked all those who worked to bring the project to this point, including Treasury's capital projects team, the Department of Health and Social Care Estates team, architects Savage Chadwick, consulting engineers Hoare Lea, quantity surveyors Bell Burton Associates, structural engineers McGowan Collet, planning supervisors Architecture in Man and contractors Auldyn Construction.
He also expressed his appreciation to the Department’s neonatal staff who, under the leadership of Dr Prakash Thiagarajan, helped to shape the vision for this much-needed new facility.
Following approval for funding in Tynwald, building work on the NICU commenced in October 2013. The extension to the hospital adjoins the existing Jane Crookall Maternity Unit and will offer more space for the specialist care that is provided to neonatal babies. The current capacity of nine cots will remain, but enhancements will include additional overnight accommodation for parents, additional space to improve isolation, resuscitation and privacy, as well as additional room for the storage of vital equipment.
Consultant Paediatrician and Neonatologist at Noble’s Hospital, Dr Thiagarajan said:
“The neonatal team are most grateful for this fantastic investment by Government which will ensure that we have the best possible facilities for providing neonatal care in the Island. The onus is now on us to continue providing excellent care for those infants who need it and support for their parents and families.
“I'd like to join the Minister in thanking all those who have helped to deliver our new facility, especially Paul McCann, lead Neonatal Nurse, and Chief Nurse Linda Radcliffe for their contributions to its development.”
