HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 45, 5 February 1943, Page 4

HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATION

Sir,—ln your article on this raatn tcr published in the "Beacon" of Tuesday the 26th January you>. impliedly asked for information as to what progress had been made by the Hospital Board with the preparation and approval of plans for hospital additions. The position as to the over-crowding of the wards is acute, and the Hospital Board has been doing its utmost to; hasten the approval of plans and commencement of works in Order that further necessary accommodation shall be available as early as possible. The procedure with .regard to the erection of and addition to hospitals involves considerable collaboration with the Health Department officials, whose approval of the plans £nd all details with regard thereto has to be obtained. The Whakatane Hospital additions plans have been the; subject matter of negotiations with the l Department for some months during which period Dr. McNickle, Assistant Director of Hospitals and Mr Lauren.son one of the Department ' Architects have visited Whakatane and conferred -with representatives of the Board, and the Board'k architect. It has been decided to erect an entirely new and up to l date ward to accommodate thirty women, patients and the present women's ward is to be retained as it is and will be used as a children's ward. The remodelling of and. additions to the present women's ward presented difficulties an involved costs out of proportion to the extra accommodation w 7 hich would have resulted therefrom. It has also been deckled

(a) To enlarge the Nurses.' Home by the addition of more, bedrooms, a kitchen and dining block Matron's quarters and

(b) To add to and completely remodel the Main Hospital Kitchen block "which is now entirely inadequate: for the demands made upon ' A it. Lt was constructed to serve oqly the original twenty-eight bed hospital . The Board expects, to receive within the next few days' ithe com- 5 pleted plans working drawings and specifications with respect'to the Nurses* Home additions and same will then be ready for further action. The completed plans, etc. re- f lative to the kitchen block altera- • t.ions are expected in about a fortnight. The sketch plan of the new women's ward including new Main Hospital entrance, and a much needed waiting room was agreed U> recently and preparation 1 of working drawings and specifications is being put in hand at once. The Board will continue to press the maUer with a view to early commencement of building operations^ Yours etc., L. BUDDLE, Chairman.