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FEVER HOSPITAL

1 CEREMONY ON THE HILLS | MINISTER ON PUBLIC HEALTH. . Tho foundation plate of tho new Fever Hospital on tho kills behind the Wellington Hospital was placed in position yesterday by tho Minister of Publio Health (the HOll. G. W. Russell). About fifty people, including members of the Hospital Board and representatives of the Health Department, were present. The now building, 'which is intended primarily for the reception of children suffering from scarlet occupies a commanding position with a wide view. It is a Single-story building of brick, with wide verandahs facing the north, and will provide accommodation for about 59 patients. A detached building, connected with the hospital by a covered way, will accommodate twelve nurses and four maids. The total cost is estimated to be ,£32,000, including .£7OO for tho water supply, d£G75 for -a reservoir, and .£2330 for equipment. Mr. H. Baldwin, chairman of tho Hospital Board, welcomed the Minister, He explained that tho board had found it necessary to orect tho new building in order to securo adequate and suitable accommodation for scarlet fever patients. I It was proposed to use the present infectious diseases ward for tho reception of diphtheria cases, and tho board would be in a position then to handle infectious cases in considerable numbers without embarrassment. Tho site was _a good one —elevated, sunny, and sufficiently far away from any dwellings. The hospital would be thoroughly well equipped, and although the water supply had presented a difficulty he believed that the arrangements made would prove satisfactory. The Minister, after declaring the nameplate well-and truly laid, said he could congratulate tho .Wellington Hospital Board on tho provision it was making for young patients. The board was in the front rank of the progressive hospital boards of New Zealand, and had shown that it recognised its responsibility to tho community. Its proposal to separate the scarlet fever patients from tho diphtheria cases was an excellent one. lhe longer he held' the office of Minister of Public Health the moro firmly convinced ho became that the secret of success in efforts to protect tho health of tho community was attention to detail. Figures that had been supplied to him by the District' Health i Officer showed that the great majority of the scarlet fever 1 cases reported in Wellington were little children. In providing the bost of attention for children the board , wa3 doing a great work for the whole 'country. A disquieting fact in connection with the present war had beon the large proportion of men of military ago rejected as unfit for military service. He had been informed by tho chairman of the Taumanimii Hospital Board recently that Taumarunui hud established a record by providing 51 per cent, of "fits" in a recruit draft, but the percentage generally was much lower. Tho high proportion of .unfitness among the men of tho Dominion was attributable verjr largely to the weaknesses developed in childhood; much of it?was duo to defects of tho teeth. Thoso wero facts to be faced by the' community. Mr. Russell proceeded to state that he regarded the Ministry of Public Health in normal times as the most important Department of the Government. The next most important was the Ministry of Education. If a community was healthy and well educated it could be trusted to work out its own salvation successfully in other respects. ' New Zealand had not been backward in caritig for the health of the people. The value of the Dominion's hospitals was no less than =£1,050,000, inoluding ,£293,000 for land, for buildings, and .£192,000 for equipment. The revenue of tho hospitals for the year 1917 amounted to .£705,000, comprising the following items: Contributions of the Government, •£,21,000; levies on local bodies, ; ' voluntary contributions, .£18,000; rent. JJ15.000; fees paid by patients, '£231,000; other sources, iKfI.OOO. He hoped that in years to come there would be a large increase in the revenue under tho heading eontribiltions." The people wero devoting their patriotic energy at the present time to providing . funds for the soldiers and their dependants. But it ought to bo possible after tho war to divert some of that energy tJ tho collection of money for the hospitals by mears of an annual "Hospital Saturday." Tho money so obtained ought to be earmarked for special expenditure, preferably 1 in connection with the children. The late Mr. Sed'don, added Mr. Russell, initiated a splendid work by establishing the St. Helens Hospitals, 'and the > midwifery training system. It hn<i been his own ambition to extend this work, and lie was glad to bo able to say that additional St Helens Hospitals hail been opened outside the' main centres, ffew Zealand needed moro population, and 'the right way to get that extra population was to raise more babies. The New Zea-land-born baby wns easily the best sort of immigrant that could be obtained. Ho had oslced the Government Statistician to tell kim what would have been the population to-day if tho birth-rate of 1880 had been maintained, and the answer nad been that, if tho higher birtli-rato had been oon'tinned lintil the present time, New Zealand would have had a quarter of a million moro people than it possessed to-day. The Minister went on to say that in his opinion the Government ought to encourage parentage by giving definito financial assistance to people who were proparod to. undertake tho responsibility of raising families. Tho economic value of children ought to be recognised. He belioved it was iin'portant, .also, that medical attendance should be brought within the reach ot every man and every woman in Now Zealand, arid particularly of the parents of young children. No parent should be placed in the position of having to deny a child skilled attention on tho score oi cost. Ho would like to see attached to "very public hospital a staff of doctor who could be called in by people who wero not in a position to pay tho ordinary fees for medical service. If lie held the portfolio of Public Health after the war he would have proposals to make on these points. A hearty voto of thanks was accorded the Minister of Public Health for lna attendance. The Mayor of Wellington (Mr. J. P. Luke, M.P.), supporting this vote, paid! that local people who had found it necessary to discuss matters of finance with tho Hospital Board ha<l never doubted tho board's earnestness or suggested that value was not being obtained for the money expended. He could congratulate the board very heartily 011 its new institution. "Mr. Luko added a tribute to tho work of the Medical Superintendent of the Hospital, tho matron, and the staff. The proceedings closed with tho National Anthem. Afternoon tea was porvided by tho board for the visitors.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19180816.2.36

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 281, 16 August 1918, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,129

FEVER HOSPITAL Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 281, 16 August 1918, Page 6

FEVER HOSPITAL Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 281, 16 August 1918, Page 6

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