X-RAY PAVILION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 181, 20 April 1918, Page 9

X-RAY PAVILION

4 _ WANTED AT THE HOSPITAL NEW PORTER'S LODGE AND OFFICES SUGGESTED CONTROL OF HOSPITAL GROUNDS. A brief but very important report by the Medical Superintendent (Dr. Barclay) was submitted to a special meotinp of tho 'WelHngton Hospital and Charitable Aid Hoard held yesterday afternoon. Mr. H. Baldwin occupied tho chair.-Although tho number present at the meeting was one short of a quorum, it was decided to hnvo. an informal meeting to coneider matters touched upon by the Medical Superintendent.

Tho report was as follows :■- "Thero aro two things that should bo done during the coming year, and 1 would suggest that provision bo made for tlieso by loan or otherwise:—(l) Building' a new pavilion for X-rays, electrical treatments, massage, and orthopoedio exercises. 1,2) Building a porter's lodge at the rniiin gato of the hospital. "1. The first of th'eso buildings is urgently required. The present X-ray room is overcrowded, and already insufficient for tho -work that has to be done. It will bo still more congested when the now X-ray plant is installed. Many patiente also receivo massage and various forms of electrical treatment, and theso have to bo done in tho X-ray room. . All tlieso forms of work have increased ol late, and will -increase more in tho future; returned soldiers alone will provido work for the proposed new, building iiud lor several years to come. As regards tho site <i tho proposed new pavilion, I think the best course would be to build a new ward above Ward IV and then utilise Ward 111 for X-ray and electrical purposes. Concerning Control. "2. It is time that the fenco around the Hospital grounds was made efficient, and a porter placed at the mam entrance gato to control tho entrance and exit of visitors and patients. "At present there is no control of either. Last week, from one ward, two patients walked out and havo not yet been heard of; throe others absented themselves without leave,. being missing at dinner; they returned later in the day, one of them under the influence oi' liquor. Some of tho consumptive patients wander down the street whenever they feel inclined, and at times return drunk. They also bring in liquor and hide it in tho outbuildings. "Visitors come in at the open gates and sit on the benches till late at night; this is moro marked since tho Victoria Ward is occupied by soldiers, who are allowed to be out later than civilian patients. For these-Teasons 1 think it is time that a more efficient gato control bo instituted. "It is suggested .that offices should bo built on one sido o£ tho entrance gate and a porter's lodgo on tho other. I have no objection: ip this addition to my scheme, but I desire to emphasise the need for control of the gate." The Chairman's Review, The chairman (Mr. H. Baldwin) said that the question that interested them most was to provide additional room for tho X-ray department. In view of tho expected arrival of new plant, they must do something. Ono of the propositions was to provide, on the land to the north of tho main entrance to the Hospital grounds, new office accommodation, and also office accommodation for the Charitable Aid Board. If that were decided upon it was suggested that they should utilise tho' present oflico flwr for an XTay dopartment. There was\one thing to consider, And that was tho heavy cost of i\ new building. On the other hand, they were paying ,£OO a year for offices for tho Charitable Aid Board. 'IVy would that, and at tho same time they would havo the present office accommodation for tho X-ray plant. It wus not an ideal place, but the Medical Superintendent raid it would suffice for another ten years. Eventually they would have to build .in X-ray theatre. A further reason for the j,roposed new building was the absolute necessity for keeping a better control of tho Hospital grounds. Hβ was very sorry to say that owing to the many entrances the grounds were not properly and adequately controlled. Only recently they had to lock up the bandstand. Mr. van Staveron: Why don't you Bay why?—that It was being used for unlawful purposes." They wore! responsible to the public, and when they proposed to r,pend money they must tell them why that money was to bo spent. Tho chairman fiaid tlwt ho was the first ono to call a spado a spade—in tho proper place. Eo preferred to refer to it in the most polito way. Lot it bo said that they wished to control tho grounds thoroughly, and to do that they proposed to keep a couple- of porters, and no ono would bo allowed to pass tho lodgo gates without satisfying them that they had business to "transact. At night no one would bo allowed to enter tho grounds without a permit.

Dr. Barclay (Medical Superintendent) said that having in view the fact that it was not advisable to do all the building they would like, the present office building would do very well, thoxigh it would not bo so satisfactory as a new X-ray pavilion. The fiat would give them 1000 square feet of space. I£ it were not always used for X-ray purposes it would bo needed for other purposes, us there were otlicr needs looming up in tne future. It would bo necessary to have a porter to control the grounds, and ho said that ho did not tiiink . the board would be acting unwisely in building at tho main entrance. Dr. Barclay said that probably in jo otlier institution in tho world of tho kind were grounds regarded as a public park like thoy wero in Wellington* and people allowed to walk in and out of the grounds as thoy liked. It should not be allowed. 'L'ho public would not like it at first, and they might write letters cf protest to the papers, but they would Boon get used to the grounds being controlled.

Tho chairman asked whether tho patients referred to as having been drinking were solely consumptives or whether they included patients from the General Hospital. Dr. Barclay said his referenco was to consumptive patients only.

As there was ouo short of a quorum, tho meeting was <yn informal one, and the discussion which took place was merely to acquaint members with the position and the proposed way of meeting it. The whole matter will come up again at tho next meeting of the board.