OPUNAKE HOSPITAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 February 1921, Page 4

OPUNAKE HOSPITAL.

DELAY IN ERECTION. TENDERS TOO HIGH. At the meeting of the Egmont County Council yesterday, th# need for pushing on with the Opunake “Hospital was referred to by Cr. Tosland, who instanced a ease ajiere shuremilkers had been charged £]6 16s for the treatment of a child for two weeks j n a private hospital. Cr. O’Brien, who is one of the Egmont County representatives on the Taranaki Hospital Board, submitted a brief report of the various institutions under the board’s management, ail of jyhich were well conducted. Regarding ttye proposed Opunake hospital, the position was not quite satisfactory, but steps were now being taken by the board, which, it was believed, would expedite matters. Continuing, Cr. O’Brien said that the tenders received for the erection of the hospital were considerably in excess of the estimates—over £2ooo—and the Hospital Board had decided to endeaVor to arrange with Mr. Grayling to’ erect the hospital on a percentage basis. A special meeting had been called to deal with the matter, and would take place at New Plymouth the following day. The board, he said, was still pressed for fundsjsand expenses, instead of decreasing, were increasing each month.

The Opunake people, he added, had subscribed £4OO towards the cost of the proposed hospital, and it was suggested that they should assist further.’ An amount had therefore been paid into the bank at Opunake, but the Nursing Association would not pay it over until a a start had been made xrith the erection of the building. If the board was not prepared to keep faith with the Opunake people in connection with the hospital, he for one would consider whether he would remain on the board, and it would then be for the people of Opunako to decide what they would be prepared to do. However, he was hopeful that the matter would be satisfactorily settled at the earning meeting.