Former office accommodation beside the existing maternity unit at Daisy Hill in Newry has been completely revamped into a bright and airy space - with the building contract now completed and handed over.
The new £500,000 state-of-the-art unit for sick and premature babies has just opened its doors after the major refurbishment took place.
All babies born prematurely as young as 24 weeks or with medical problems will benefit from the new unit where specially trained paediatric staff will care for babies with a range of health problems such as respiratory difficulties or congenital abnormalities.
Former office accommodation beside the maternity unit has been completely revamped into a bright and airy space.
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The main clinical area has space for six level three cots, with capacity to care for a child with more complex needs. The unit avoids the needs for babies to be transferred in the short-term to another hospital such as Craigavon.
State-of-the-art incubators in the nursery pumped with oxygen help babies while they gain weight before being moved into open cots.
A separate area within the main nursery is available for very sick babies to provide parents with privacy.
The upgrade also includes a segregation room which allows up to two babies to be nursed in isolation for infection control purposes when a baby is transferred from another hospital.
Money has also been spent on a transitional care cot room to prepare babies and their parents ahead of discharge.
Acting Chief Executive of the Southern Trust Mairead McAlinden said the new unit has already improved the service provided to parents and babies.
She told the local newspaper, the Newry Reporter: "This development has clearly been a huge success and staff have told me how the improvements are making a difference to parents and their babies.
"I would particularly like to thank local people who have given very generous donations to this service. These funds have helped us to extend and develop the facility into the excellent new unit we have today."
(BMcC/GK)
