MENTAL HOSPITALS

Hokitika Guardian, 24 March 1933, Page 8

MENTAL HOSPITALS

RELIEVING OVERCROWDING

'CHRISTCHURCH, March 22.

! “Notwithstanding, the financial difficulties , facing it, the Government is doiinr "itg best to ease the , position in re.T.ars .tp the need for additional ncconuncdatfan in the mental, hospitals,” stated the Minister of Health (the Hun. J. A. Young) yesterday, The Minister visited Sunnyside Mental Hospital and its subsidiary institutions during the day, with a view to authorising certain eonstrncticnal, repair, and maintenance work to the extent cf £575. This 'and other items of the contemplated building ‘programme wijl cqpip. into .the allocations for the next financial year commencing,on April 1, and the Minister believes that they will go a long way toward .relieving the pressure on the institution >a,t the present; time. The Minister said that as the proposed works and extensions at Sunnyside involved the expenditure of a considerable .sum of money, he wished to satisfy himself as to the value of the work before recommending the allocation to the Cabinet. A . certain amount of money had already been authoried, and he wished to ensure that this also was used to the best, advantage. J He had visited the Templeton Chil-j

dren’s Facin' Colony, where two villas were housing 96 boys, and another was proriding accommodation for 4.8 girls. Another villa for a similar number of girls was under construction. He also visited the Jenkins Farm, . uihlh'U,.. w&tli '.the Tpnrplbtqn Jestate, comprises 1100 acres. There are just sufficient male patients ,at thy farm 'at present to carry out farm operations under competent supervision, to supply the several institutions. A visit was also paid to the Hornby Convalescent and Neuropathic. .Hospital, where there .is accommodation for 10 men and 18 women, all of iliem belonging .to the better type of curable patients. The Minister added that at present Sunny side was accommodating 1016 patients.