A thirty-one bed female surgical ward at the Mercy hospital which was closed earlier this year to save money is now being advertised for private rent by hospital authorities.

The former St Catherine's ward was home to 19 surgical and 12 medical beds and was closed on May 3 this year as part of a wide-ranging cost cutting exercise at the hospital. When it was closed, hospital management confirmed that the ward would remain closed for the rest of the year.

Following investigations by the Cork Independent, staff in the office of the hospital's Deputy Chief Executive confirmed that 2,000 sq m of space advertised by the hospital as available on a lease rental basis is in fact the former St Catherine's ward.

In response to the revelation, a spokesperson for the Campaign for a Real Public Health Service who are organising this Saturday's march against cut backs at the Mercy Hospital said, "We already have a €5 million A&E unit lying idle while patients and staff are forced to make do with a clapped out unit. Now we have ward closures and job cuts while hospital space is rented out on a commercial basis.

"The HSE should hang their heads. This is no way to run a health service".

The issue was also due to be raised in the Dáil last night by Fine Gael TD Bernard Allen. Deputy Allen said he would be putting the allegation to Health Minister Mary Harney and demanding an answer. "This is truly awful if it is true," he said. "The obvious question it raises is that it may very well mean the ward has been closed for good".

The Mercy Hospital's CEO and Deputy CEO were not available for comment at the time of going to press.

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