DESPITE the current centre “leaking like a sieve” and being “unfit
for purpose”, a new health centre for Lisnaskea remains at least three years away. However, progress is being made on the project.
The problems with the current Maple Health Centre in the town were raised again at Stormont this week, when local MLA Sean Lynch asked
Finance Minister Conor Murphy for an update on the new facility. Mr Murphy confirmed the business case for the new centre had now been
passed to him from the Department of Health and said his department was currently working on it. After that is complete, the project will move to the next stage, with completion expected by March 2024.
Mr Lynch had raised the state of the existing building, which now has to cater for a large swathe of Fermanagh’s population following the closure of GP practices in surrounding areas, at Stormont on Tuesday, where he declared it “not fit for purpose.”
“I visited the current health centre on Friday afternoon. It is not fit for purpose,” he said. “The roof leaks like a sieve, and, at night, computers are covered in plastic to prevent water getting into them.”
Speaking to the Herald afterwards Mr Lynch, who welcomed the business
case being progressed, added tiles had been fallen from the roof of the current building.
“I couldn’t believe the state of the place when I was shown around by senior management last Friday,” he said. “In fact, there’s an issue with health and safety for the workers. Tiles had fallen from the roof, some of the rooms are beyond use.
“The roof has been temporarily repaired, but it’s only a case of throwing good money after bad.”
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