WELLINGTON HOSPITAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 307, 23 December 1908, Page 2

WELLINGTON HOSPITAL.

LACK 01'' ACCOMMODATION. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Delegates from the Wellington Hospital Trustees and the District Hospital Board lield u conference to-day to consider the question of providing additional hospital accommodation. The chairman (Hon. C. M. Luke, M.L.C.) said the present- lack of accommodation was notorious. The overcrowding of the fever hospitals was a scandal. One or two of the hospital doctors had been attacked by disea3s, and several nurses had been struck down also. And why? Because they had been compelled to stay in an overcrowded building which was reeking with fever germs. The trustees desired to put up a fever hospital that would suffice for some years to c onie. The fever hospital must conic, whatever happened. Whether it could be done cheaper, the Trustees were prepared to discuss, for the Board's aims were, the Trustees' aims, but he was persuaded that delay should be avoided. He wanted them to understand that the estimate of £25,000 before the meeting was for other requirements besides the fever hospital. The estimate was made up of £12,000 to £14,000 for excavations and buildings for the fever hospital, and the remainder for the Wellington Hospital proper. This meant that the original estimate had been cut down hy £4OOO or £5009. Four wards were in contemplation. Help had been promised by the ladies of the city towards the institution of children's wards, and Die money for a ward for cancer patients had been promised by a family in the city whose name he was not permitted to mention. Then there was a proposal for junior staff accommodation and ollices which were

necessary. Mr. R. C. Kirk said that 2SO or 2SI was the average of patients in the hospital, and. there was not the accommodation for anything like that number. The honorary medical stuff and Dr. Ewart were all agreed that it was necessary to go on with the building aii'l get extra stories on two of the wards. At a later date it would be absolutely necessary to consider the provision o' a second operating thertre. An eye, car, and throat hospital, which was in the extension scheme, had been allowed t° lapse temporarily, the -medical officer having signified his willingness to make the present quarters sullice for a while longer. As to the fever ward, that was absolutely necessary, but the cost had been cut down by providing for first and second stage patients only, leaving the convalescent accommodation out of the scheme. Accommodation for cas';s of measles had been cut out, also a proposal to do this ill regard to diphtheria cases was .made, but the doctors were against this because they considered it would, be a distinct menace to general cases to treat diphtheria. The need for

the. proposed extensions was urgent. At present nurses had to sleep alongside scarlet fever patients, mid it was no wonder llle nurses went down. As to llii- estimate of .C-15,<1(«t, lie ilid not see how. trv as they would, it eould lie cut down. During the discussion that took plni'i', a cottage hospital at Mono or the Lower 1 111 11 to relieve the main hospital was siij«rcstefl, but it was considered that this would he crowded for tin' most part liy convalescents -and local j accident rases now treated ill their own homes, and that, as a result, no actual relief of the present congestion in Wellington would lie gained. Another suggestion was that the Government should he approached with a request to have hospital hoards and hospital trustees included in tho divisions of the local liodics authorised to borrow money oil the open market. This proposal met with favor. tt was resolved 'that the, conference ask the Premier lo receive it as a ilepution to the end that ways and mains may be discussed in the matter of the propused hospital.