NEW SANATORIUM

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 298, 17 December 1930, Page 9

NEW SANATORIUM

PROPOSED FOR ROTORUA

COMBINING SERVICES.

CLOSING OF ORTHOPAEDIC

SECTION.

MINISTER OUTLINES REASON.

As soon as finances are available, action will be taken by the Government io combine the hospital and allied services at Rotorua, according to a statement made by the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, Minister of Health, this morning, when outlining the reasons for the closing of the orthopaedic section of King George V. Hospital. The Minister informed a "Star" representative that when he officially visited Rotorua eighteen months ago he found a. very unsatisfactory position regarding the dual hospital facilities provided by the sanatoria under the Tourist Department and King George V. Hospital ainder the Health Department. The duplication of services was unsatisfactory both from a medical and economic point of view. In addition, it was noticed that the sanatorium building and the King George V. Hospital buildings had teen allowed to fall into serious dis-a-epair. As a result of his investigations the Minister said, he had elaborated an entirely new scheme for Rotorua hospital services involving the building of an up-to-date sanatorium, in which the hospital and allied services would be combined under much mpre all-round satisfactory conditions and with an infinitely greater degree of efficiency. . Catering for Tourists. Rotorua, in the Minister's opinion, was one of the star resorts of New Zealand, being practically the tourist ibase and frequently domiciling visitors of considerable wealth. The hospital facilities should be of an appropriate standard, and a combined institution established that would be a credit to Rotorua. The scheme had been approved, and, as eoon as finances were available, dependent upon the improvement of the economic position of the country, the scheme would be proceeded with. Rotorua, under proper tourist conditions,.with ite hydro-therapy, special baths, etc., was the one place where a properly-nm institution should be selfsupporting, in contradistinction to the other hospitals of the Dominion. Orthopaedic Cases. "It 5s not proposed to. close King George V. Hospital/ 5 the Minister added. "There need be no .fear that. Rotorua ..■will be left .without hospital facilities, ibut the way is being .cleared for the accomplishment of the larger objective indicated above. The orthopaedic section of the hospital was opened ten years ago on the outbreak of the epideruic of infantile paralysis. At that time hot very much was known about the method of treating the disease, and concentration on the treatment was made at Rotorua. This was largely due to the fact that there wore no special staff or facilities in tile general hospitals to cope with the disease, Since that time, however,, the niajoi" hospitals 6f the Dominion have developed orthopaedic departments, and for some time have been treating their own orthopaedic'cases and'not. sending them on to Rotorua.

Closing To Be Gradual, "It is not proposed to summarily close the orthopaedic, section at King George V. Hospital, but to bring the activities to an end as cases at present under treatment are finalised," the Minister continued. "In some cases children under treatment will be trans-, i erred- to the hospitals in their own district, in other cases they will remain at King Gedrg'e V. -Hospital until such timo ag their treatment is completed, and in others, .where, medical officers consider further .treatment is not required, the children will return to their homes. Regarding the children who are to remain as patients at King George V. Hospital, I may say that the' orthopaedic specialist who i has been •attending to the cases for some time ■past has.recently been only a part-time officer. He will continue to reside in Uotorua." ' Advantage to Parents. The Minister said the treatment of chttdre'n in their own hospital districts had the advantage of keeping them within easy reach of their relatives and friends; whicli was an important consideration from the point of view of Iwth parent and child. Fortunately, eince the first outbreak • there had been ho recrudescence of the disease, and the number of cases coming forward was very small. Superintendents and specialists of the major hospitals were consulted as to whether cases could be as efficiently treated in local hospitals,-and absolute assurances had been given in that regard. The Director-General of Health and the Director of the Division of Hospitals bad definitely reported that, there was practically unanimous agreement among the medical men referred to that the orthopaedic department at King George V. Hospital could be closed down without any hardship to the patients under treatment, and without any disadvantage to the community generally. The four main centres eoulcl now copo with orthopaedic cases, and it was agreed that there was no longer need for an orthopaedic section at Ilotorua. The Minister said there was considerable expense involved in the maintenance of duality of the treatment, and in view of the definite statement that there was no longer any "necessity or justification for the operation of that "dual service, ho had a responsibilty, in a time of economic stress to carry out.