Rosscarbery mum's first

A ROSSCARBERY mother was the first person to stay in the newly refurbished emergency room, which was opened at Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) recently, writes Kieran O’Mahony. ‘I spent a lot of time in the room before when my first son Mathew was born as there were complications in the early part of my pregnancy. When I came into the newly refurbished room before my second son Harry was born I was blown away by the difference. It’s a much brighter, happier and relaxed environment and is a much more private space to be treated in particularly if you are hearing bad news. The artwork on the doors is amazing,’ said Lena O’Regan. The new unit has individual, walled cubicles to allow privacy and dignity to patients as they are being assessed, examined, investigated and/or admitted. The emergency room (ER) at CUMH is a 24-hour service, and is the first point of access for the majority of women using the services of CUMH. In this department, staff regularly encounter women experiencing stillbirth or miscarriage and meet very ill women with a range of gynecological problems. The refurbishment project aimed to create private space and give dignity to all those attending the ER, through the creation of separate walled cubicles.