WHITE PLAGUE AND WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2958, 22 December 1916, Page 4

WHITE PLAGUE AND WAR

CONSUMPTIVE SOLDIERS

ARRANGING FOR ACCOMMODATION GOVERNMENT TAKES OTAKf SANATORIUM Yesterday, tho "Wellington Hospital JJoard resolved to hand over to the Government the Otaki Sanatorium for the use of consumptive soldiers from the beginning of 191-7 until two years after the war. The proposal came from the Health Department in the following letter from the Inspector-General of' Hospitals (Dr. TV H. A. Valintine) :— "By direction of the Hon. the Minister of Public Health; I havo tho honour to inform .your board that owing to the numbor of sol- • diers returning to the Dominion in various stages of consumption, it ' is necessary to make special arrangements for their accommodation. It is considered that it would greatly facilitate matters in this.respect if your board would hand over the control of.the Otaki Sanatorium to tho Department' on . tho following conditions :— . "1. That, on the understanding ' that tho Department will provido for civilian as well as soldier'patients needing sanatorium treatmont, the control of tho Otaki : Sanatorium to be vested in the Department until two years from the date of the termination of.the

war. ' '*' "2. That, as tho. Otaki Hospital is to all intents and purposes under the snmo administration as ' the sanatorium, control of the former institution bo also, vosted in tho . Department, on the understanding . that the hospital will be still available for residents of .the district, needing general medicai and surgi-. cal treatment. ' "3. That for the period agreed upon tho rates from tho Horowhenua County, the. Levin Borough, and tho Otaki Town Board be paid by those local authorities as heretofore to tho Wellington Hospital; . "4. That tho board pay 'tho Department the actual cost of maintenance of '■iviliaii patients. need-... ing sanatorium treatment .. and of patients needing general modical.l and surgical treatment, less any maintenance fees that may bo coi-. lected from tho patients con-:-. corned "5. That in the.event' of the board resuming control of tho- institutions . referred to on. the expiration of tho period determined . on, the Department makes no charge for any additional buildings erected by the Department during, its term of occupation. "Should your members agree to these proposals, it would bo necessary for your board to formally closo tho institution referred to „ under section 62 of-the Hospital " and Charitable Institutions Act, tho consent of tho Minister, being , obtained. "If tho proposals find favour with members, it would be a great . convenience to the Department if the buildings were handed over as from' January 1, 1917, the board to, pay all expenses in connection ,' with .the institutions referred to until tho end of the financial year, ' on March 31. At. tho' beginning of . tho, New Year the Department to pay all expenses and rotund to tho AVollington Hos- <•• pital,Board, all expenses,..paid v by,.U that body on- behalf of the -Depart:--" j mont from Janaury 1 to March 31. 1 ''Trusting that theso proposals, . which aro subject to the. approval of Cabinet, will meet with 'the approval of t/ie board."

Tho Finance, Property, and Policy Committee, having considered ..the proposal prior to tho meeting, .recommended the board to adopt' the following course:—

"That both the Otaki liospital and Sanatorium for Consumptives be handed over to the Government on January 1 noxt, subject tu its .being acceded that civilian sanatorium patients' be admitted and treated without any charge being made on this board for maintenance and treatment, biit that tho hoard would agree to being charged for the treatment of patients in the hospital, and' further that if the. Government, for any reason, desires;' the hoard to again assume control' of these that it not bo charged for any buildings or' additions that the Government may have made- during the term of its jurisdiction'over these two institu-

tions." \ - ' Some members thought there was but little difference hetwe'en' the two proposals'' .....,',

Mr. (i. A. Monk:-If this agreement is going to bind the Horowhenua district to Wellington for two years after the war, then 1 am going to oppose it. The chairman of the board (Mr. H. Baldwin) said the idea merely was to assist tho Government to accommodate the men who were coming back from the war. .• '

• Dr. Valintine said in regard to tho board's desire for' the free treatment of consumptive civilians that- if the Government gave way on that point itwould have to do the samo for other boards. Although there was a great deal in the suggestion that the treatment of consumptives- should be nationalised, the timo for that had notyet arrived. So he asked the board to reconsider its opinion and accept tho Government's proposals in toto. As regards Horowhenua, the fact that .tho sanitorium was under the control of the Government would not confound the issuo at all; that must be kept entirely separate. '

Eventually the hoard agreed to the Department's proposals.