Long-awaited MRI for St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny to go to tender in coming weeks

The long-awaited MRI for St Luke's Hospital finally looks another step closer today, with Minister for Health Simon Harris visiting Kilkenny this morning, where he confirmed that funding is in place for it to go to tender in the coming weeks.

Minister Harris said he anticipates that construction of the building to house it will commence soon after and that the facility will be in place in 2019.

Just finished an excellent visit to St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny & a series of meetings there. Brilliant work underway in terms of care of older patients - was the pilot site for new programme. Also announced go ahead for new MRI scanner & plans for new 75 bed ward block pic.twitter.com/NHjzLawn2i

— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) July 16, 2018

Welcoming the annonuncement today, the Friends of St Luke's General Hospital confirmed they had met Minister Harris and local TDs John Paul Phelan and Pat Deering.

"The minister has announced that he will release the outstanding funds in the next couple of weeks, which will allow the MRI project to go to tender," said a statement from the group.

READ MORE HERE: HEALTH MINISTER VISITS KILKENNY

"The pricing will be rechecked by September/October. Then there is a pre-clearance of contractors. The Minister is talking about shovel to ground by February, with a four to six month build.

"The Friends are delighted that the project is finally moving again. The Friends have raised €250,000 toward this project and are most pleased to expect the new MRI services to be up and running by September 2019."

The group has thanked the many businesses and others who helped in raising the funds.

The Friends of St Luke's reached their target to help fund a MRI unit at the hospital in 2016, and Deputy Phelan had previously said the MRI scanner should be in place by the middle of last year.