THE FEVER HOSPITAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 589, 18 August 1909, Page 6

THE FEVER HOSPITAL.

MODIFIED PLANS. SOME CALLS FOR FURTHER ECONOMY. A special mooting of the Hospital Trueteos was hold yesterday morning to consider the modified plans of tho proposod fovor hospital. There were present:—The Hon. C. M. Luko (In the chair), Messrs. R. C. Kirk, J. W. M'Ewan, G. London,. G. Nash, J. Rod, Agmon Smith, J. Danks, and J. Trevor. Dr. Hardwick-Smith medical superintendent at the hospital, and Mr. M'Kay, representing Messrs. Crichton arid M'Kay, architects, were also .present. The chairman stated that the now plans had been approved by Dr. Freugley and Dr. ■■ Hard-wick-Smith. Dr. Frengley had intended'being present at the meeting, but was detained by another engagement. Although ho had'not'had time to go exhaustively into the modified plans, ho thought tho new' scheme would commend itself to the' trustoes. and ,to the local bddies , interested... The proposition was to discuss and approve tho plans, and let. them go before tho conference of local bodies, to bo.held on Friday. Messrs. Crichton uud M'Kay wroto stritinfi that they had conferred with Dr. Frengley and Dr. Hardwick-Smith and , had prepared amended sketch .plans,for tho.fever hospital. The plans'showed that all the buildings, except the administrative block; had been completely altered.' Tho block, plan' showed , tho pDsitiou where the buildings, are proposed .to lie placed, and will entail the minimum excavation on'a very difficult'site. The letter'pointed oiit that the hospital had been designed on the open-ward principal, with' a doublo '. hung glass-door leading into a large verandah on the front, arid a 4ft. verandah at the back. As it is,proposed to. use the. verandahs ,as part of tho wards, the bed and air'space has been considerably reduced. ' The wards .will bo divided by partitions, and glass screens in-f-arted from .the height.of ; bod.to, sft Gin'..high', to.eusiirc complete supervision. Tho front verandahs will bs similarly divided with glass screens. Provision has been made for large windows at the top of the walls.of, the wards (above verandahs) to,, allow for the direct rays of the sun and cross ventilation. Tho nurses' duty room, kitchen, and. , lavatory'-blocks '.are placed conveniently for the disposition of the wards. The observation block had been designed with the- saiiie accommodation as ■ the former,plan, but arranged on the sanie principal as tho fever hospital.. The. administration block is.the same as formerly'.agreed' , toby, the board. The .destructor block has been done away with, and a.'small building, with a morgue and a destructor-room,;substitutcd. The following sets forth tho' buildings' and accommodation provided for:—Fever hospital 6 wards, 6 beds each, 3G beds; , , observation block, 3 singlo wards, 3 beds; total number, 41 beds. The administration block contains :26 rooms,

including 13 bedroom's,' 3 bathrooms, and the usual stores, conveniences,.etc. . The mortuary is a single room, w.ith suitable, viewing , window, etc., and the destructor-room. ■ will -" contain steam disinfecting apparatus. The ; architects stato that in designing, the building, they have kept .steadily m view.'the direction' to'keep down , the cost' in every" way possible. ' They had; therefore, designed on. the plainest lines to meet -hostiital- and sanitary, requirements. The estimated-approximate cost of the-various blocks was '£10.910;. The estimate provides for the. building's being erected in brick, on. the most modern lines,, but if wood was used for outside walls a saving of about 10 per cent., would bo mndo on tho.estimate.- The estimate does riot include tho cost-of fencing, furnishing, and fittings, but includes drainage and Banitary fittings. The cost of excavation of the site , for the. buildings: was estimated at about .£4OO. . ■ ■„ ' ' • ■' Inanswor. to a question , by Mr. MTSwan, Mr. If 'Kay ■. stated , that '■ the , administration block was designed so as to:permit of extension 'to .double the present accommodation- : i£ necessary... '. , ■...,' ■ -...,' . ■ Mr. Trevor .'suggested that it might 'be , arranged to have the kitchen, etc., , in., the basement, and run •' things upstairs. by ■ means' of lifts ; if the configuration. oP the ground .would allow it: ■ ' • ■ ■•■„■■• ■• " Mr. MTCay. "In the- new plan this would not:be needed." ■ . ... Mr. London-expressed pleasure, that the Health Department had at last seen tho error of its way, and was now seconding the efforts of the trustees to bring-in , a moro reasonable scheme.to meet the existing, pressing ncid. However, he still' considered that tho |-roposals were somewhat'extravagant, as they ineant that the-trustees would get.a .building .little botter than a barn for the cost of a really'modern structure. -He thought tlio estimates could bo cut down considerably, aiid that the whole expenditure on all headsshoui-1 not' be moro than .£IO,OOO. If necessary, he would move- that,this limit be fixed. ,Mr..Rod agreed that.no extruvagance,. should' be permitted.. . ~.'■■-. ,',. ; ".--.. ~ ,'■'. .:.;' '.-Mr. Kirk' did,riot agree with the-suggestion to fix a limit. -He thought the.trustees could be congratulated upon-reducing -the expenditure to the point now reached, believing that it just about- represented 'tho lowest sum ot which the. necessary accommodation could be provided. \ ' -..'■■ ■ . ■ Mr. MTEwan pointed oht- that when .the scheme was first brought forward the -sum ct, .£27,000 was mentioned as being necessary', while now they had managed- to cut-it down to about .£IO,OOO. Ho didj-not think , they should begrudge a little expenditure on, i-r----namentation.,-He urged the trustees to. fix oil their estimate and forward it-to the local.bod-

ies interested at once. 'Personally, he-was sick of the fever hospital question. ■• '. .'.'.'. Mr. Trevor-favoured a little "jam," "provided' if was not-put: on too thickly, but he. was not in'favour of ornamenting such .a structure.. In his opinion, the building ought to be put up.for, about ,£Booo'or-sq,. especially now that brickwork 4 was so cheap. What' was required was a. plain building, as roomy'^as possible. ■ - . . '.". . V - '; .. . At,the invitation of-the chairman, T)t, Hardwick Smith .described: the'fever building! .It would, he said, consist,of; two blocks, e.aoh; of which, would be divided • into three, wards. This would permit of separate treatment for the three' classes of patients—acute, sub-acute, and convalescent.- The .scarlet fever patients would be.. treated upon open-air 'sanatorium linos. French windows would be provided in. the walls between the,beds, so' that the latter .could'easily be lifted out.on .to the veranv dah,. which would be glassed in.and divided by glass' screens. . The .small one-bed wards were necessary for observation: purposes, when it was uncertain. .whether scarlet fever'would develop. The isolation block was required when smallpox' patients had to .be provided for. The plan excluded diphtheria cases,'but it was felt desirable to, keep them as at A present owing to the necessity of constant medical supervision.. Without any further increase, the proposed administration, block would , provide for fifty or more patients. ... .., L After further discussion, the moved:; "That the plans as submitted be' approved, and forwarded; for" the consideration of the conferenco v of .local bodies -on Friday; with a .request'to, tho local authorities / for

the necessary money." ; . ■;■■ ■•..'.■." Mr. Rod seconded the,-motion., .'•■.'•' . Further objection was taken by Mr. London, who failed to see why k> much should be spent on an administration blook ■ when ■ a : smaller one could be made toeerve. ■•■.•■■' ■■■• • : '.The: chairman reiterated that the block would..6tand and serve all purposes for. fortyfive years. • . ■ ', .. . ■'.. "I think: if.will,be oheap then,"-deolared Mr.'A. Smith, '■ who objected to any; further cheeseparing. ■.- , ■■■'■■■. ■. ■■•....■.•■■;'..,:. Mr. Kirk said' that 'the. total, estimated-coat on; the present scheme would be about'J6l3,OoO.. That would include and all'necessary equipment. ', . ' :..•.'..;: Tho chairman' remarked- that the ■ previous estimate for the same-provision was.i>l7.ooo.:. In reply to questions, ■ the- architect . said that there was no. ornamentatibn' at all on tho fever ward, while the whole ornamentation on tho block would only represent ,£IOO. ,■• -■ The motion wa»: ; carried, Mr.; London ' alone expressing dissent. Mr. Trevor did not vote, as his-recent illness'had prevented'him going into the matter; ,'•' ■ ■•