Rest home at hospital option ruled out

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 570, 24 January 1995, Page 1

Rest home at hospital option ruled out

Use of the old Waimarino hospital building for a rest home for the aged is now out of the question, the Waimarino Rest Home Trust has decided. The group met last week along with Good Health Wanganui chief executive Ron Janes. Trust chair Bob Peck said Mr Janes had granted them permission to release the figures relating to the cost of upgrading and maintaining the building 'The trust has investigated the figures and it is fundamentally clear that use of the Waimarino Health Centre (building) as a venue for the rest home is impossible as far as the financial situation is concerned," said Mr Peck. He said that did not mean the end of the project. The trust would continue to "work towards the establishment of suitable facilities to care for the aged in the Waimarino." "Progress is being made on alternative proposals," he said, although he said he would not elaborate at this stage. The trust has a total of $55,477 available for the project, some of the money yet to be uplifted. Mr Peck said the Wanganui Crown Health Enterprise has "left open the opportunity for the trust to purchase land Turn to Page 2

Rest home at hospital option ruled out

FROMPAGEl adjacent to the new rural health centre in Seddon Street. Construction was due to start this month. The trust has until March to consider this option, said Mr Peck. The figures help to also explain GHW's decision to build a new facility rather than upgrade the existing building. A total of $399,500 would need to be spent on upgrading the building, according to the figures provided to the trust. Also, the running costs of the building including "heating, lighting, power etc amount to approximately $90,000 per annum

inclusive of regular maintenance and repairs", stated the report to the trust board. The upgrading costs, based on 1 993 quotes, were: removal of asbestos $45 ,000 to meet Health and Safety regulations; installation of sprinkler system "in excess of $100,000" to meet fire safety requirements; repair subfloor and upgrade floor coverings $73,000; intemal decorating $25,500; extemal decorating $56,000; full electrical survey and upgrading $100,000. $254,000 worth of the work would be to meet legal requirements. "These costs exclude the requirements of the licens-

ing authority to upgrade the toilet facilities if you proceed with a rest home in the building and the cost of upgrading the boiler plant," stated Jan Buteel Adams, manager adult health, in the report. Another report prepared for the trust outlined the work needed for a rest home, over and above the upgrading costs. They included alterations to bathrooms and toilets; installation of handrails, call bells in all rooms plus wardrobes, heating; additional hand basins, kitchen, laundry, sluice room. The Waimarino Hospital was opened in April 1922, then with 34 beds. It has been successively reduced to its present six general beds and three matemity beds, Reasons for choosing Raetihi as the location for the new rural health centre include the transient nature of much of Ohakune' s population; the tendency for people injured on the moun-

tain to choose to go home to be treated rather than use the Waimarino facility; Raetihi ' s stable population; its distance (12km) from Ohakune; and lower land prices. A main street site

was favoured because it is more accessible especially for people without transport. People would be more likely to drop in while using the main street shops and other facilities.