KAWHIA'S HOSPITAL SCHEME.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 455, 10 April 1912, Page 5

KAWHIA'S HOSPITAL SCHEME.

RESCINDED BY THE HOARD. At the Waikato Hospital Roard meeting on Thursday, Mr Keeley, in accordance with his notice of motion on the books authorising the erection of a nurses" home and emergency ward at Knwhia lie rescinded. In doing so he said that this would practically amount to a cottage hospital and one patient would require, three attendants. He favoured sending a nurse to the district as the funds would not warrant the establishment of a hospital. Mr Johnstone in seconding the motion said that he did not think it right for the board to expend large sums of money which would have to be paid by ratepayers who would get no benefit.

MrGhenmell did not agree with this piecemeal way of doing things. The board ought to have a system for the whole year, so that members would know what the expenditure was likely to be.

Mr Boddie spoke strongly in favour of building the ward, being of the opinion that the claims of humanity in dire distress should not be outweighed by considerations of £s. d. He did not agree with the statement that this was going to be a cottage hospital. It would be just a place where a nurse could treat emergency case.

Young spoke of the very special claims of Kawhia, shut out as it was from railway communication. In the face of the great cost involved in bringing patients from the outlying portions of Kawhia, he thought that it would bo a great mistake not to assist in some way.

,Mr Shaw spoke in the same strain saying that it would be a fairer thing to charge every patient from Kawhia £2 or £3 per week for treatment at the Waikato Hosital than for them to contribute to the board and practically get nothing. Mr Keeley in replying to the various speakers said that he was also prepared to assist the people of the backblocks, but he differed as to the method of giving that assistance. On a motion being taken the voting was 8 to 7 in favour of the motion on the books being rescinded. On the motion of Mr Shaw it was unanimously decided to station a trained nurse at Kawhia immediately.