MATERNITY HOME ISSUE

Chronicle (Levin), 18 May 1948, Page 4

MATERNITY HOME ISSUE

Early Erection In Wood Possible Rather thq,n see ,the erection of Levin's long promised materpity hospital delayed indefinitely, the Levin Borough Coimcil has consented to the structure being built of wood instead of stqel"and concrete, a's was the original intention. By its action in agreeing tp this at a meeting last night, there. is eyery prospect qf the building materialising in the near. future. The deeision will be conveyed to the Palmerston North Hospital Board by the district's representative, Mr. V. J. Cottle, at the next meeting of the board on May 24, when the question of both Levin's and Feilding's proposed maternity hospitqls will be djscussed. The position to date was outlined to the council by Mr. Cottle, who attended the meeting. Levin's maternity hospital was a burning question with the board, said Mr. Cottle. Negotiations had previously been held UR hy the board in the hope that supplies of concr.ete and steel would be forthcoming. Eyery possible avenue had been explored with no avail. The department had then stated that if the board was willing to accept buildings of lighter construction, it could go ahead with the work "pretty well at once," continued iMr. Cottle. "We hqve got to the stage where the board has exhausted every avenue, but concrete and steel simply qannot be got. The board now asks you to give. consideration to the erectiqp qf the j buildings in wood," said Mr. Cottle, and he would like the council's deeision that night to take back to the board. Referring to a report ppblished in a Palmerston North newspaper on Saturday, Mr. Cottle said that the matter had been before the Feilding Borough Council, which had agreed to have a .wooden structure. The report, however, referred to. the Hospital Board AS having decided the issue, continued Mr. Cottle. . That was slightly previous, as the board had not made any deeision on the matter. It had not yet met so coul$ not have agreed to it. The matter would come . up, however, at the hext meeting and he would like to know the council's feelings. The council was indebted to Mr. Cottle for attendipg and placing the facts before it, said the Mayor, Mr. H. B. Burdekin. The question of Levin's maternity home had been iong delayed, but this was - not altogether the Hospital Board's fault. When he apd Mr. A J. Gimblett, former chairman of the Horowhenua Coupty COUUCil, had waited on the Minister of 'Health, Miss Mabel Howard, they' had tdid her that they were quite prepared to pledge their counciLs to the building of .the hospital in wood if only to see some action. The progress of science today was so fast that in any case any type of building would soon be outdated. He understood that the building planned would only cater for Levin's present requirements, gpd that in a matter of 25 years the growth of Levin would be such tnat the population would "oq doubled pnd they would he Iqoking lox something bigger within the life of this new building. "I wquld "say take what you can get and later we can agitate for something bigger. We don't want to give the Minister anything to hold against u.s," added Mr. Burdekin. He understood the present hospital to be a six-bed bne, at least in the eyes of the department, said Mr. Cottle. He was quite sure that the new one would provide for 16 beds, which would serve Levin fpr some time.

Mr. Burdekin: I understood that it was an eight-bed hospital. Mr. Cottle: No, I've seen the plans and they allow for 16 bjeds,. Cr. F. D. Chainey said he was all for the wooden building. The matter was one of urgency, many young mothers being fqrced to go all the way to Otaki for conflnement. All other councillors present gave their support and a motipn to that effect was duly passed. During further discussion the question of the "morgue at the Levin cemetery was raised. Cr." j. Miller said that as the morgue was in a b£id condition wQuld it not be better for the borough to use the one at Palmerston North. Replying, Mr. Cottle said that to date" he had been more concerned with the sick rather than those who had passed away, but at the boatd's next meeting he would inquire whether post mortems cquld be eonducted in Levin or in Palmerston North, It was also stated during discussion, that an ambulance station was incorporated in the present plgn qf the maternity hospital. Mr. Cottle said that the pla.ns for the new district nurse's quafters in Chamberlain Street had been before the board. He thought that they had even been approved, but he was not quite sure of this. Ip any case a start qp the building could be expected at any time now, The lay out was a very nice onq indeed, he added. After Mr- Cottle was infqrmed that in view of the position the council wholeheartedly supported the erection of the maternity hos-. pital in wood, he was accorded a hearty vote of thapks ■ fqr attend^ ing the meetipg and Blacipg the position so clearly before the coun-* cil.