The SouthDoc treatment centre in Listowel will reopen next week.
The HSE has confirmed that services in Listowel will be available to patients as required and by appointment from next Monday, January 18th.
SouthDoc’s Listowel centre was one of four bases that closed on March 13th as part of a consolidation of services in the county in response to the pandemic.
It also emerged that one third of all available GPs were over 60 and therefore in the vulnerable category for Covid.
Centres in Killorglin, Kenmare, and Castleisland were also closed on the same date, but all of these have since reopened.
Cork Kerry Community Healthcare has a contractual relationship with SouthDoc for the provision of out of hours GP services for medical card holders in Cork and Kerry.
Since the closure of the centre 10 months ago, anyone in North Kerry needing to see a doctor out of hours has had to travel to Tralee.
It’s now been confirmed that the centre will reopen on January 18th.
Kerry Fianna Fáil TD, and Minister for Education, Norma Foley has welcomed the confirmation, adding that the lack of SouthDoc services in Listowel has been an issue of huge concern for the people of North Kerry.
Kerry County Councillor Jimmy Moloney says because of the closure, people were either availing of the out of hours service in Tralee or having to present at A&E at a time when hospitals have been under severe pressure.
He added SouthDoc provides a vital service to all of North Kerry.
