THE HOSPITAL FULL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1138, 27 May 1911, Page 10

THE HOSPITAL FULL.

A EECOED NUMBER OP PATIENTS. There are at present more patients in the Wellington Hospital than at aiiy past period in'its history. There are IK males, 12!) females, and 35 children in the wards to-day, a total of 302 patients. The highest previous total was recorded in 1908, when there were 290 patients in the Hospital (US malts, 116 females, and 35 children). At this time last year about 244 patients were under treatment in the local institution. Dr. Ilardwick Smith stated, on being questioned, that there was no special epidemin to account for the pressure on the hospital accommodation at tho present time. There is a good deal of scarlet fever about—there are about 40 patients in the fever ward—but the cases of scar.let fever are not sufficiently numerous to constitute an epidemic. The difficulty of tho position at the hospital is heightened by the fact that the old Children's Ward has been demolished in order that the new Children's Hospital may be erected on thn same site. This means that 35 juvenile patients hav<- to be accommodated lreantime in tho main hospital, and take up a good deal of its space. Undoubtedly, tho doctor stated, there is an abnormal amount of sickness in Wellington at the present time. Already it has been foniid'necessary to refuse all save urgent casss admission to the hospital, and probably this rule will be observed' for some weeks. Dr. Hardwick Smith is hopeful that, at the end of two or three weeks, the unwonted demand on hospital accommodation will have considerably abated.