MASTERTON HOSPITAL

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10553, 8 February 1912, Page 5

MASTERTON HOSPITAL

ACCOMSSODATItfN FOR WURSES. At the meeting of the Wairarapa Hospital and Charitable Aid ; Board yesterday, the following report from the Master ton Hospital was read.: — : 'The matter of the inadequate accommodation provided at the M'asterton Hospital for the members of the nursing staff was considered by the Hospital Committee at its special meeting on Tuesday, 30th January. 1912. In all eight rooms are provided for the sleeping accommodation of the present staff, and of these,' four are occupied by the Matron and the three senior nurses, thus leaving the other four rooms, for the accommodation of seven probationers. Necessarily these rooms have to be. double-banked, and apart from the objection which may fee rai&ed on account of the srnallness of the : rooms, the practice of allotting more .than one nurse to a room i-s for several reasons highly objectionable.; Nov , that .the Board , haft ■ adopted the] scheme of the Inspector-General, constituting the Master ton Hospital, the base hospital and training school for the probationer nurses of the Wairarapa Hospital District, and providing for four extra .probationer nurses being stationed al that hoppital to undergo training avid for emergency work at one or other of ihe hospitals in the district, the absolute inadequacy of the accommodation provided has "been realised by-- -the Committee. The matter has been carefully considered and thoroughly discussed by the Committee, who unanimously resolved to recommend the Board to authorise the erection of a detached cottage of eight rooms to be used for the accommodation of the . nursing staff. W.ith the object of supplying the Board with all- the information in, their power, the Committee beg to herewith submit plans and estimates. of 1 , the cost of erecting such a building as will meet.ihe requirements of the hospital for many years to come."

Plans and estimates from Mr M. R. Yarn.ham, architect, were also presented. .Mr Mt'Leod stated that, although, generally opposed to ' centra ligation, he could see no other course open than to adopt the proposal for the erection of a nurse's home. He moved that a' sum not ex reed in a' £2OOO be placed on next year's estimates for the provision of the ' accommodation asked for, together with an electric light scheme.

Mr J. C. Ewington seconded' the resolution. He had every reason, to think . .tliat the Inspector-General would endorse the eleoiric light scheme. Mr Cornelius did not think that the Board had been committed absolutely to the .scheme of the InspectorGeneral. 7t was more in the nature of an experiment. At the same time, he could not see how they could put the scheme into operation without some expenditure. After further discussion, the motion of Mr McLeod was put and carried unanimously.