FOR THE HOSPITAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1227, 8 September 1911, Page 9

FOR THE HOSPITAL.

AN APPEAL. .£7OOO TO XSOOO WANTED. October 7 and 8 (Saturday and Sunday) have been fixed as the dates this year on which a special appeal is to be made to tho public of Wellington for funds for the Wellington Hospital. In this connection Mr. W. A. Evans, chairman of tho Hospital and Charitable Aid Committee, has issued the following circular letter by way of appeal:— The Hospital and Charitable Aid Board confidently appeals to the sympathy and generosity of the people of Wellington, and of the districts included in the area of its services, on behalf of the institutions under its control. In justification of its appeal the following facts are submitted to your most careful consideration:— (1) Tho hospital exists primarily for that portion of the community that cannot afford to secure the skill and care which their ne e ds demand in their own homes, or in a private hospital; that there is a largo number included in this class is evident from the fact that last year 3116 cases were treated in the hospital, and of this number 1500 operated on. (21 But in addition to tho in-patients, 17,000 were treated in tho out-patients' department. In the course of treating this large number of patients, the fact has been established beyond doubt that a large percentage of these cases are due to conditions that may bo completely eliminated. In tho fa'ce of this fact, the board has decided upon immediately establishing and equipping such departments as will enable the superintendent and his staff to deal more effectively with the causes of disease, and thus raise the standard of health in the community. (3) To attain this end the following works must be undertaken:— (a) Tho building and equipment of an outpatients' department. The present block is altogether too small for the purposes it was intended to fulfil. fho patients and doctors iu attendance alike suffer from lack of room and equipment. The new outpatient block will be utilised for general outpatient work, including the treatment ot diseases of the eye, ear, and throat. Rooms a'.so should be provided for a bacteriological and pathological department; a department (hat is essential to everv well-equipped hospital. (b) The present outpatient building, under this scheme, will lie converted into a department for the treatment of chest diseases, and a dental department. Medi- I cal science has affirmed that many of the diseases of our time are due to the unhealthy conditions of the month, so that this prolific source of danger to tho health and virility of the community will be destroyed by the equipment of this department. . . ...•-.. (c) To build and equip a ward block for in-patients suffering from diseases of tho eye, ear, and throat. These patients are distributed at present throughout, all the wards of tho hospital, and that is detrimental to all concerned. To carry out the scheme as thus briefly outlined it is necessary to raise from .£7OOO to wCSOOO. That means a contribution from the people of tho hospital and charitable aid district of .£3500._ The board, however, is so impressed with the necessity and urgency of the existing need, and with the humano and generous spirit of its constituents, that it confidently appc.-ls for this amount. The public' that so honoured itself by supplying tho sum necessary to erect and equip children's hospital, which will bo second to none in Australasia, will uot hesitate to shoulder the much less burden of tho present situation. Let each locality take tho matter up seriously, organise its own resources, and the result of our united efforts, on Hospital Saturday and Sunday, will be worthy alike..of. our traditions aud of the cause wo have at heart.