SERIOUS CONGESTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 July 1942, Page 3

SERIOUS CONGESTION

POSITION AT MASTERTON HOSPITAL LANSDOWNE SCHOOL TAKEN OVER. FOR TREATMENT OF SOLDIER PATIENTS. The serious state of congestion existing at the Masterton Hospital was brought before the Wairarapa Hospital Board , at its meeting yesterday., by the Medical Superintendent, Dr T. L. Parr. After a full discussion the board decided to take over the Lansdowne School as soon as possible for the treatment of soldier patients. An assurance was given that the school would be released as soon as possible. Dr. Parr said the whole situation at the Masterton Hospital at present was i pretty difficult. It had been arranged .that 100 beds for soldiers could be found at the Masterton Hospital, on the understanding that old chronic cases could be sent to Greytown and that two marquees would be available. To begin with, they could not get the old people to Greytown and only half of Ward Seven had been available for soldiers. There had been a number of surgical military cases, which had increased to 17. They had also to take in a humber of cerebro-spinal-men-ingitis cases, which were difficult to accommodate. There were also scarlet fever cases and now there was a diphtheria case. The new regulations in regard to venereal cases had made (he position harder, as power was given to order such cases to hospital and those cases could not be mixed up with others. All these different infections had made it hard to use the full number of available beds. The Army had helped by keeping a good many cases in camp. The situation had become steadily worse and the hospital was now in a very overcrowded condition. In addition, they were getting a lot of sick nurses, ten of whom were accommodated in the nurses’ home. Nearly all the sick nurses were coming from the overcrowded Ward Eight. Odd infection cases had to be jammed in all over the hospital. The whole place, he said, was really a shambles and the position was very bad from an infection point of view. If any more infectious cases come in he did not know what he could doj with them. The question which arose was, what was going to happen in the next month or two? The new ward would not be available for two or possibly three months. The marquees were of no use because they leaked so badly. Men accommodated in one marquee had to be evacuated into a tin shed, to keep them dry. The question, was should they not take Lansdowne School until the new ward was ready?

RISK OF INFECTION. “The serious risk is infection,” said Mr J. F. Thompson. Dr. Parr said that was so. The margin of safety was getting less and less every day. They had now practically no margin at all. He was surprised that there had not been more cross-infec-tion. The infection cases were dangerously mixed up in the side rooms. SITUATION GETTING WORSE. “It has been getting steadily worse and we have the worst of the winter in front of us,” said Mr H. Thomas, who considered that something should be done to take over the school. Only the more urgent civilian cases were being admitted, said Dr. Parr, who added that the existing conditions took a lot of his time and that of the staff, so that he could not get down to his job. “The situation as it appears to me is that we ought to notify the Lansdowne School authorities and the Health Department of the position,” said the chairman, Mi - H. H. Mawley, “so that arrangements can be put straight in hand by the school people to enable the pupils to be shifted out at a moment s notice.” The situation tomorrow might be entirely different. It would be a pity to put the children out of the school, except as a last possible measure. Perhaps a few cases could be accommodated temporarily in the board room.

, NEW BUILDING. Mrs J. Robertson asked if it would be possible to concentrate on the completion of one end of the new ward. She did not like shifting the children if it could be avoided. Mr Norman Lee (managing-secre-tary) said work had recommenced on the new ward that day, for the first time since the earthquake. The men had been engaged on earthquake restoration work. “What number of patients can be dealt with at the school?” asked Mr Thompson. “About 56,” replied Mr Lee.

SERIOUS PROBLEM. “This question raises a very serious problem,” said Mr Thompson. No one liked to shift the children but health must come first, he said. At the moment they were not providing the accommodation for either soldier or civilian patients. He thought the board should face the position. Mr Thompson moved that steps be taken to advise the Lansdowne School Committee, Education Department and Health Department that the board might have to take over Lansdowne School at very short notice, as hospital accommodation was such throughout the Wairarapa that difficulty was being experienced in providing adequate accommodation for infectious disease cases. No board member wanted to disturb the children, said Mr Mawley, but if no other provision could be made, there would be no alternative. He thought the only thing to do was to notify the authorities concerned of the position and that it might be necessary to take over the school at a moment’s notice. The motion was seconded by Mr Thomas and carried unanimously. Mrs Robertson moved that one ward in the new building with the necessary kitchen and. sanitation facilities to allow hospital work to proceed, should be completed as expeditiously as possible, so that that portion of the building could be taken over by the board. This was seconded by Mr Thomas and carried. MATTER REOPENED. Mr Thompson said it was a question whether they should not take over the school at once. It would be three weeks

to the school holidays, and the holidays would occupy another three weeks. By that time the new ward should be available. He did not think the position would improve. . „ “We are too close to the precipice, said Mr W. B. Martin. . Without taking the school, the hospital was going to struggle along m its present disorganisation for another two months, observed Dr. Parr. Mr Thompson asked leave to reopen the matter and to move that the board take Lansdowne School at once. It might be in the best interests of the children to prevent any further infection. , The board agreed to allow the matter to be reopened. Mr Arch Clark moved that the first motion be rescinded. This was seconded by Mr Martin and carried. Mr Thompson then moved that in view of the abnormal conditions at Masterton Hospital, the board take over the Lansdowne School at the earliest possible moment for the treatment of soldier patients and that the various authorities be notified accordingly. Mr Thomas Seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. An assurance was given that the school would be released as soon as possible. Mr Mawley said it was expected that the new ward would be completed in time to allow the school to be handed back at the beginning of the next term, in six weeks’ time.