OTAKI HOSPITAL

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3937, 2 May 1929, Page 4

OTAKI HOSPITAL

MATERNITY AND GENERAL WARDS iSOGN TO BE READY. REVIEW OP THE POSITION. In the course o'f his address on hospital matters in Levin on Friday night, Mr. iG. A. Monte 'briefly referred to the long dispute over the Ofcaki hospital, the retention of which he wa’s largely responsible for in the face of strong opposition, says the Chronicle. The position, he said, was that in 1916 the military authorities asked that the Sanatorium be handed over for ,Tjß. cases amongst the soldiers. The Wellington Hospital Board agreed but said that they must take over the hospital also and run it as a civil hospital. They agreed to do that. When the HoroWhenua transferred to Palmerston in 1918, the sanatorium and hospital were being administered by -tile Health Department. The chairman of the Palmerston Board asked about the hospital and ■was fold that the Health Department was running it. The Hon. G. W. Russell was then Minister for Health and was talking about, nationalising the hospitals. Three years ago the Department asked the Palmerston Board to take the Hospital over, but the Board refused. Considerable discussion had gone on since then land the Health Department had largely been responsible for the position that had arisen. The Palmerston Hospital Board was not so much to blame. The Board agreed two years ago to take over the Hospital, but considered that it should have a sufficient area of land with it. It was found that the land was still in the name of the Wellington Board and should have gone over when the district was taken over by Palmerston. There was really 38 acres, hut the Palmerston Board only asked for ten acres. The Board also asked that, as the hospital had been allowed to fall into ruin, it should be fully restored.

Mr. Monk said he was responsible for the establishment in connection with the Otaki Hospital of a slmall maternity ward which he was satisfied would fill a need in the district. “It has taken two years to get as far as we have got. We have that hospital brought up-to-date and we have the maternity ward. The Department has got through its part of the bargain, but it has taken them two years. It is only going to talk© us a month to furnish and staff it.” Mr. Monk added that the Board had now two maternity institutions and neither had cost the district a penny piece. That in Palmerston had been built by public subscription, and that in Otaki by the Health Department.