STRESS OF WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 228, 27 September 1938, Page 4

STRESS OF WAR.

HOSPITAL SUPPLIES.

PRECAUTIONS IN AUCKLAND.

DRESSINGS AND INSTRUMENTS

I That it was alive to the possibility of j having to operate its hospital institu- :| tions under condition* of national cmerI gency—in other words, under the stress i of war—wag (shown last night by the Auckland Hospital Board when it decided !to take necessary precautionary ineasI ures in regard to stocks of hospital stores. j .Pointing out difficulties that should be j faced in the matter of satisfactory I housing of the stores, a report prepared jby three administrative heads stated i that the solution of this problem would j involve the erection of either sjiecial building* or bombproof dug-outs, not ! necessarily at the hospital. I This report, submitted to the finance I committee by Dr. J. W. Craven, medical 1 superintendent, Mr. R. F. Galbraith, treasurer, and Mr. J. Gray, purchasing officer, dealt with three kinds ol emergency. In the case of local but limited emergency, sucli as a severe train smash, the hospital carried stores equal to a two months' normal demand and these, together with the ordinary supplies still available, would be sufficient. For a severe local emergency—a heavy earthquake, for example—the hospital should have a normal six months" supply

of stores in hand. The ordinary supplies , coming in would be sufficient to replenish J stocks. i Vastly different problems would arise jin a national emergency. It was safe : to assume that the sea" ways would be considerably embarrassed arid that supI plieg from England would not be available because of her own immediate requirements. It would be necessary , to have at least a full year's normal I consumption of certain essential items i on hand, in addition to the ordinarv ! daily requirement*. I The report held that this latter was ! a national question. It seemed that the i bo;ird» throughout New Zealand should | be divided into groups and the requireI ments ascertained, pooled and purchased ;hy the Government. It suggested that i the Government should be asked to what extent the hospital boards were expected to prepare for the possibility of a national emergency.

I f.oing further than the adequacy of supplies of drugs, dressings, anaesthetics linen and instruments, the report dre inattention to the question of food sup- . plies. To make the hospital absolutely self-supporting, the storage of an adequate supply of tinned and other ! goods would have to be considered it was stated, since it mu*t be realised that gas would quickly contaminate growing and exposed foodstuff*. As a result of this report the finance and purchasing committer recommended that tenders for six months' supply of drug*, dressings, anaesthetics and instruments, with a further six month*' supply to be held in *tock by the merchants, should be called. Members held a brief discussion in which the present European situation! and the probability of prices risin- j„ war time were mentioned. Finallv'the finance and purchasing committee* wa* given power to act in the way of providing an adequate supply of* essential stores.