NEED FOR HASTE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 42, 26 January 1943, Page 5

NEED FOR HASTE

HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATION ACUTE POSITION IN WHAKA' TANE Some few months ago avc published an article on thel need for additional accommodation at the Whakatanc Hospital more particularly the provision of a ward: for children. The chairman of the Hos.pital Board in his reply to our artiele mentioned that the Board was then considering . plans for certain additions. We have learned that the hospital is now etremely full. The men's ward normal capacity is 30 patients and there are now 43 crammed into it, including six on the verandah which usually holds four. The women's ward normal capacity is 20 and there, are 26 patients in it at present. The women's ward accommodation is frequently forced to take as many as 30. Yesterday the old portion of the men's ward was full of boys, fully indicating the need for a children's ward. It would be interesting to know what progress the Board has made with the preparation and approval of plans for additions and as to when work will commence for the proviso ion of space and facilities to. cope with the increasing number of patients. It would appear that unless the work is hastened to completion the time may shortly arrive when owing to lack of accommodation, hospital treatment will not be available to some of our people, who may be urgently in need of it.