A VALE of Leven Hospital campaigner says he's at a loss to understand why the Scottish Government spent £43 million building a temporary facility at the SEC in Glasgow when wards are lying empty at the Alexandria hospital.

The NHS Louisa Jordan hospital, constructed in a 10,000 square metre hall at the centre, has capacity for 1,036 beds and is clinically ready to treat coronavirus patients if required.

Jim Moohan, chairman of the Hospitalwatch campaign group, says it "defies logic" that the wards at the local hospital, which have capacity for more than 100 beds, are lying empty while the deadly coronavirus pandemic continues to claim lives across the country.

He said although the local hospital could not match the SEC facility in size, if wards were prepared for coronavirus admissions, it would offer reassurance to people in West Dunbartonshire worried about the impact the virus was having on the community.

READ MORE: Spare Vale hospital capacity 'is pandemic back-up option', says Helensburgh's MSP

Bosses at the Louisa Jordan hospital have set an initial timescale of five months, with an option to extend if that is required, after which they will look at a decommissioning strategy.

However, Mr Moohan has called for the Vale wards to be prepared for the eventuality of a second spike in cases.

He said: "I just can't get my head around why they would spend that kind of money at the SEC when one or two million could be spent at the Vale of Leven to put it in a state of readiness.

"We should use the facilities we already have. It would be money well spent locally for the sake of human life."

READ MORE: Helensburgh FC youngsters doing their bit for front line NHS workers

Mr Moohan has been at the forefront of a long-running campaign to urge NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to stop what he sees as a continual erosion of services at the local hospital.

He added: "The health board should wake up and smell the coffee, because at the end of the day, once it's all over, there will be a blame game over how the pandemic was handled.

"Politicians from the various parties will be blaming each other.

"I don't know why they can't work together as a united front – it's a farce, and it makes you sick of politics."

Meanwhile, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she fervently hopes there will never be a need to treat patients at the Louisa Jordan hospital.

READ MORE: Lockdown in the maternity unit...Helensburgh mums praise NHS staff

She added that she would rather invest the money in the temporary hospital and not need it than not do so.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We are working with health boards and their partners on local plans to respond to the Covid-19 emergency that will lead to at least 3,000 beds being re-purposed across the country by suspending non-urgent treatment to create the necessary capacity.

“The NHS Louisa Jordan provides further flexibility by providing capacity for over one thousand beds if required.

“Given the highly dynamic nature of the emergency, plans will be kept under continuous review, both locally and nationally, to ensure that they are as robust as possible.”

READ MORE: Click here for all the latest Helensburgh and Lomond news headlines