Plans to provide accommodation on the grounds of University College Hospital Galway (UCHG) for cancer patients who are undergoing treatment have been withdrawn due to a planning hitch.
However, Cancer Care West plans to resubmit its planning application for "The Lodge" later this month after making adjustments.
The Western Health Board has provided the local charity with a site on the grounds of UCHG to develop a residency and support centre, where patients and a close relative can stay during radiotherapy treatment.
The €3.5 million Lodge facility will consist of 30 twin en-suite bedrooms with a common living room area. Patients and family members will be able to avail of a range of free complementary therapies, including counselling, therapeutic massage, stress management and art therapy.
Galway City Council has asked Cancer Care West to address some technical issues regarding access and the concerns of locals.
There are 20,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed every year in Ireland, and one-in-three cases come from the west of Ireland.
Only 23 per cent of west of Ireland patients currently opt for radiation therapy, compared to 40 per cent in the east, often because of the trauma of being away from home for weeks on end at such a difficult time.
When radiotherapy services begin in Galway early next year, patients will no longer have to leave the west for treatment.
