Monaghan General Hospital is to go back on call for emergencies, the North Eastern Health Board (NEHB) has confirmed.
The announcement yesterday came a day after health board officials and hospital consultants from the region met the outgoing Minister for Health, Mr Martin.
At that meeting, the Minister gave the go-ahead for the recruitment of five junior doctors to work in the hospital's emergency treatment room, which will be open 24 hours a day seven days a week. It is currently being extended, and the larger unit will be open by February.
Mr Paul Robinson, chief executive of the NEHB, said yesterday the development meant Monaghan hospital could soon again begin accepting medical emergencies. He would prioritise the recruitment of five junior doctors in anaesthetics to place the hospital back on call.
The hospital has been off call since July 2002, and this has resulted in ambulances taking casualties or other emergencies to Cavan General Hospital 45 minutes away. Local people felt this was putting lives at risk.
Dr Illona Duffy, a GP in Monaghan, said yesterday she was delighted the hospital was going back on call. "It means people with heart attacks can go to Monaghan, where there is an excellent cardiology service."
She also welcomed the fact some elective surgery in addition to day surgery would continue to be carried out in Monaghan.
It had been feared that all but day surgery would be withdrawn from the hospital after Mr Robinson set up a steering group last April to plan a joint surgery department between Monaghan and Cavan hospitals. He directed the group to ensure major elective and emergency surgical services for the hospital group be provided in Cavan, with day surgery at both hospitals.
After the group's plan was discussed on Tuesday night with Mr Martin, approval was given to the NEHB to recruit three additional surgeons for the Monaghan/Cavan hospital group, for extra beds for both hospitals, and a CAT scan for Monaghan hospital.
This should especially ease pressure on Cavan hospital which has been at the centre of controversy since two of its surgeons were suspended over interpersonal difficulties a year ago.
Dr Duffy said: "This is the first positive news for Monaghan hospital for a long time. My only concern is out-of-hours cover for surgery because it seems the surgeons will be based in Cavan and travel daily to Monaghan".
The health board has been seeking to have the only permanent surgeon in Monaghan moved to Cavan.