University Hospital Waterford will have up to 150 free and additional beds by the middle of this week.
The hospital is increasing its capacity for Covid-19 patients.
Two wards in the Dunmore Wing have been designated for coronavirus patients.
As of midnight on Friday, there were 31 cases in Waterford.
Waterford TD David Cullinane has been speaking with hospital management.
He outlines how UHW is creating capacity:
"Cancer patients are also being dealt with differently; the day ward has been completely moved over to Whitfield Clinic; there's plans to move over the inpatient ward as well, so that would free up around 50 beds that would then be able to be used to treat suspected Covid patients over the next while.
"Specialties like orthopaedics are being scaled back and that will free up capacity in some medical wards as well. I think there's a tremendous amount of work being done by hospital management to free up as much capacity as possible."
He says the number of ICU beds will also be increased:
"While there is only 6 ICU beds at the hospital at the moment, there is plans to increase that to 35 to ensure we have 35 ICU beds if this virus scales up in terms of the number of patients that present for critical care, so that tells me that the hospital is taking this very seriously, everybody is putting their shoulder to the wheel."
Deputy Cullinane says UHW has enough Personal Protective Equipment for now:
"The hospital is doing OK at the moment. Obviously like every hospital they are stretched and there is finite PPE. There is a promise of additional supplies coming from China; hospital management have put in for additional gear, it will be necessary ahead, and the hope is this additional equipment that's being brought into the country will be distributed in a fair way and that University Hospital Waterford will be get a fair allocation to ensure staff and patients can be protected."
