SEA VIEW MENTAL HOSPITAL.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 June 1923, Page 4

SEA VIEW MENTAL HOSPITAL.

( ‘si i-'iciuiri'h : • DDK IT IK V. .Line li. ],, pa-ery. puhl'e- epinioo no longer regards menial palu-nts a- but a spaeii s nf eriinimd. In praeliee. md gi-eat an advam •• lva- been made. \| |,-a-1 this was the imprr-.o't.n made r. IT. -e, VI- ,-l “The P>e--" who liiii-d ilu- S'.-aview AI •nt )* 1 I lo»piial. Hokilik.i. this week. Iwo years am Bishop Julius visited tins in-L----iu: ion. and Id-; -ialimenls aroused wide public in’.'-r.-: at the time. ‘The Pns-“ repri-—.-ntai.ive expected to ' a!) the aliii-e- ( oaqihn n*-d oi el Ibe limr sw.-qn away. The reality was i'ar Tfc most sinking fact about ilu- in--HiiiDoii was the r-Ui-nii.-n ef the old end a- part of Ihe .Mental Hospilal. The depressing coi'iidoi' and heavy door '-indd hardly fail lo have an adverse etfin-t on n-w patieulx admitted t i ike hospital. Ali-erable cells and mi c.mjiu-is form an environment hardly e indm-i ive h lln- recover; of the nielli ally sick. The sanitary culld'lious. which are ol the imi-l. primitive pussibU' tvpe. are oiilv now being re,in died, and some u--e i- at la-t being taken of the natural advantages of the splendid hospital siie. There are ahnui 230 patients in the hospital, and tln-y conn- Irom all parts of New Zealand. The hospital is under Government control, and i- not locally administered. Accordingly, the Male of (lie hosnital is a matter of

■ oiieern to the Dominion n- a whole, and the responsibility for il cannot he pla.i-ed ciitirelv oil the shoulders of the people of Westland. A big building scheme is at present being carried out at the hospital, and the medical superintendent appears to he doing his utmost to make I lie hospital a place in which it would lie reasonable to ask human being to live. He has swept awav gaol-like harrier:’, which must have exercised a detrimental effect on the patients, and in the new buildings modern ideas will find expression. Bui the progress made with the buildings is painfully 'low. and the Public Works Department, which is in charge of the operations, must accept responsibility for any portion o! tiie delay which is'unnecessary. Material is plentiful, and much of the labour can he supplied 7>y tho able-bodied patients. The Seaview Hospital could lie made a really fine one. and a place of which Hie country might he proud.