PAEROA HOSPITAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5256, 26 March 1928, Page 2

PAEROA HOSPITAL.

CTo the Editor.) Sir,—l read with interest Mr Dandy’s statement in a “Gazette,” that the need for a hospn ; tai at Paeroa has not beep proved. He s has the loss account well figured out, and says that a hospital at Thames and Waihi and a nursing home at Paeroa are quite sufficient for the needs of the district. It is all very well for him. If he is taken seriously ill he can be carried into the hospital. But he evidently forgets that 22 miles of jolting either by rail or car is not improving serious illness; and nursing home may be alii right, but it can only take a limited number—and the lowest fee is £4 4s a week, and I don’t think they get the lodge • benefit. The majority of residents of Paeroa are only working people, and it often means over a .week’s wages for a week in the home. What is needed is not so much a maternity hospital—the need for that may not have been proved—but a general! hospital on a small scale that can take in medical, surgical, and maternity cases. The staff has to be pa’d, so why confine it to maternity and casualty. lam Pure the need for the above has been fully justified. Only a few weeks back there were thirteen or more patients in th® Thames Hospital from Paeroa, and it means a lot for relatives to pay train fares once or twice a week to see’v them. It means practically 10s a trip by the t'me the fare is paid, a cup of tea purchased, and some little luxury taken to the patient. But the board members do not take any of these things into consideration. Perhaps some of them would like to provide a ||l free refreshment room for the. convenience of Paeroa hospital visitors, also £3 or £3 10s car hire to take pat'entfi down, Three guineas a week hospital fees is quite enough to pay without having all the other expenses tacked on. illness is expensive at any time ; whereas with the hospital here we would have; the privilege of see- / ing our frien ’s often, and could givtk them a few luxuries with a little ofT the money that would otherwise be wasted on fares.. I trust that Dr. Valintine will see that Paeroa gets a fair deal, and that the hospital will be one that will meet the needs of the whole community. RATEPAYER.