QUAKE DAMAGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 August 1942, Page 2

QUAKE DAMAGE

WAIRARAPA HOSPITAL BOARD TAKES ACTION NURS&S’ OLD HOME PARTLY EVACUATED. WARDS TO BE SHORED UP. The immediate evacuation of the top floor of the Nurses’ Old Home at the Masterion Hospital and the shoring up of the w r ards at the Mastertoil and Greytown hospitals was decided upon by the Wairarapa Hospital Board at yesterday’s meeting. This action followed on consideration of a report by an engineer- of the Public Works Department on earthquake damage to the buildings. The shoring of the wards was aimed at taking the weight of the roof off the Avails.

Mr P. R. Welch said the board's duty was clear so far as the nurses' home was concerned, and he moved: ■‘That the board decides to remove the staff from the Nurses’ Old Home, both nurses and domestic, and instructs the secretary, to take immediate steps to carry out this decision.” The motion was seconded by Mr W. B. Martin. It was stated that 30 nurses and ten domestics were accommodated in the building and that there were people sleeping there during 24 hours of the day. Mr J. F. Thompson asked if accommodation would be available for the time being at Lansdowne School. He considered they should be taken out of the home as quickly as possible. Dr. T. L. Parr (Medical Superintendent) said the Lansdowne School could be used for a fortnight without interference with the school, which was not now being used as an emergency hospital. “I don’t think we should have in mind the keeping of Lansdowne School after the school holidays for that purpose,” said Mrs J. Robertson.If it came to a question, the nurses should be left at the Lansdowne Schoo! until other accommodation could be found, said Mr Martin. Every effort should be made to get that accommodation, but if it could not be obtained, he thought the nurses should remain in the school building. Mr Trevor Beetham said he believed the huts promised by the Public Works Department could be obtained quickly. The motion was carried unanimously. On the motion of Mr Thompson, the Finance Committee was empowered to procure Public Works huts and to make arrangements for such other accommodation for the nurses and domestic staff as was required.

Steps were taken that afternoon to accommodate the nurses in Lansdowne School that night, in view of the engineer’s report that the Nurses’ Old Home was definitely unsafe. The Managing-Secretary, Mr Norman Lee, said the estimated cost of. strengthening the wards was £3OOO per ward, which would involve an expenditure of about £30,000 for- the Masterton Hospital alone, if the whole building were similarly strengthened. In addition, there were four wards at Greytown. The estimated cost of shoring up the wards was £5OO per ward. The approximate cost of removing the top floor of the Nurses’ Old Home and erecting a new home was £19,540 and for the alternative of replacing the top floor with a light structure was £3,800. Mr Beetham said the Department had told them that after the expenditure of much money, when the strengthening was done, they would have second-class buildings and an out-of-date hospital. It might be cheaper in the end to rebuild in the style at present being adopted. On the motion of Mr Duncan McGregor, it was decided that the wards at the Masterton and Greytown hospitals should be shored up, this work to be put in hand immediately, the Finance Committee being authorised to take all requisite action. The Finance Committee was authorised to make all the arrangements necessary for funds to carry out the work. It was decided to apply to the Government for a 75 per cent subsidy on the cost of repairs of earthquake damage, According to a report made to the meeting, it was not expected that the new emergency ward would, be completed until four weeks’ time. The painting would then still remain to be done.