NAPIER HOSPITAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1356, 17 January 1905, Page 2

NAPIER HOSPITAL.

ISOLATION WARD. XPer Press Association.) Napier, last nighty At a meeting of tho committee of the Napier Hospital this afternoon a report was presented from the medical staff on the question of the erection at the hospital of a ward for chronic cases. The staff were unanimously of the opinion that such a ward was needed, bus that there was no room on the hospital site with tho present arrangement of buildings. They considered that in view of present and futuro needs of tho district, an institution of from thirty to fifty beds, inclusive of side wards for isolation cases, would be needed. It was also decided that cases of pulmonary phthsis should not be eligible for admission. Tho report pointed out that what was wanted mere urgently than a chronio ward was a separate children’s wurd, and also a fomale surgical ward, as tho present system of treating surgical cases, septic and othorwiso, with medical oases in one ward, was opposed to all modern surgical principles. Attention was called to the dangers arising from the present treatment of pulmonary consumption in tho hospital. There are at present a large number of such oases, the treatment of which constitutes a menace to other patients, especially those in thoir convalescence. Tho verandahs, whioh were instituted to aid the convalescence of patients, aro now mainly takon up with patients suffering from tubercle, and undergoing the open-air treatment. It was impossible to prevent other patients from being brought into close contact with those, and although fully alivo to the fact that for humane reasons such cases must be admitted, it was imperative that the question of other accommodation for them should be fully gone into. At tho same time any attempt to establish an open-air sanatorium in Napier was to be strongly depreciated, owing to tho danger to tho general community. A strong recommendation was also made in favor of the institution of distriot nurses, under which system a large numbor of eases chrouio in nature could be wed troated at home. The systom had been tried extensively in England and found to work very satisfactorily. -In view of the importance of the subject the whole question will be fully considered at tho next mooting of trustees.