Sanatorium Committee Deeply Disgusted

Chronicle (Levin), 8 April 1948, Page 7

Sanatorium Committee Deeply Disgusted

Docp dingust at the "frustration mel all aloag tlic line" in thcir endeavour* to improve faoilities for Tb. suffercrs a1 thc Otaki institulion, was expressed b\ m'embors of the Western Ilospital Dia tricts' Joint Sanatorium Committee ai a- niocting held in Palmerston Nortli ycsterday when proposals for enlarginjj and Mmproving the Otaki Sanatoriun again caiue up for discussion. Tlie eonimittcc 's plans have been th( subject of negotiation with the Govern ment for a period txceeding two years and from a project estiiuatcd to eost £21,000 and invol ving somo reinforcec concrete struetures, tliey have been revised, amended and modified so that today tfie proposal is estimated to cost £(17,000 and the reinforced concretc work has been substituted with building in light construction. "Since we lirst approved these plam 10 per cent. has been added to the estiniates here and another 10 per eent. there so that the cost is aliuost double, " said Mr. II. F. Toogood, representative of the Wellington Hospital Board. "We have met uothing bui frustration all alo.ig thc line. ' ' The chairman (Mr. J. A. Nasli): 1 aiu deepiv disgusted with tlie' whole allair. A report brought down by the managing-secret.wy (Mr. A. J. Phii lip]»s) outlined ainendmeuts to the plans agreed upon foilowing a meeting between representatives of the committee and the Miuister of Health, and further niinor alterations agreed upon at a meeting betweent the committee 's otfa cers and othcers of the Health DeparL ment. The report (lisclosed an importantc.differeneo of upinion between thc1 dcpartment 's arciiitect and the medicai ofticers ])resent. When the fonner suggested the postponenieut of por tion of the vork might be con ■ sidered, the medicai officers wero eui-: phatic that the l'ull scheme should b? pn.-ceoded with to cnable the institution to be used to full udvantagc. The committee. \s architects >re now proccoding with the detailed alterations required and these together with tho fresh estimate will.be submitted to thc Health Depurtment as soon as tliey aro available, which is expected to be iri about a l'ortnight.