OTAKI SANATORIUM

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2728, 24 March 1916, Page 7

OTAKI SANATORIUM

ADVERSE REPORT BY TUBERCULOSIS MEDICAL OFFICER In a report to the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, Dr. Basil Adams, Tuberculosis Medical ' Officer, has expressed an unfavourable opinion of the Otaki Sanatorium as a place to whoio tuberculosis .patients should bo sent. He says:—' 'Tho only advantage I can see in moving the troatment of. advanced oases of tuberculosis to Otaki is to more thoroughly utilise ail unsuitI able piece of land ulrcady in the possession of the Hospital Board. I should strongly advise that tho board should uufc their losses and make a new start, on modern approved lines, somewhero in tho close vicinity of Wellington, whero not only the advanced cases now treated at Seddon Annexe could be proporly treated, but also those who are at present sent to Otaki." *, The reasons given by Dr. Adams for the abandonment of Otaki Sanatorium | as a place for the treatment of pulmonary diseases are the unsuit. able mi two or. the aground, cost of transit of patients and .friends, and supplies to Otaki, and distance from Wellington. The land at Otaki thu doctor des?ribes : as of "a poor nature with much swamp and bush, which may be picturesque, but affords.good breeding ground for mosquitos." "It would be beneficial to Wellington, the main centre of the, population ol the district,, to send all cases of tubeiculosis out of tho town, thus removing, sources of infection. The ' difficulties of transport of the cases occurring in the town and suburbs, whence thoy mostly come, would be great. Tho type of railway carriage in use does not lend itself to tho conveyance of infec-. tious cases. Special rail carriages would liavo to be arranged foi 1 , and-.transport : both to and from the rail provided. ' ' "The distance of Otaki from •Welling-, ton might assist in the discipline of tlio pa tients; it would prevent too frequent and too numerous visitors, and the patients going , out of the town. While some of, thb relatives of the patients would not care how far away their near-: est and dearest were sent, still a proportion hko to have them where they can visit frequently, especially when they are ill." ' . ~

Dr. Adams does not favour transfer of cases in Wellington to Otaki for the reason that it would necessitate a tuberculosis mcdical officer being there nil the, time, while in Wellington City fcho, work of the dispensary has to be done; and, is increasing. . To do four hours', work in Wellington from Otaki would .involve soven hours' travelling by rail.

"If .(ho adds) one could get all tuberculosis cases together under one administration, many nursing and other difficulties could be overcome."