HUGE SCHEMES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 20, 25 January 1939, Page 4

HUGE SCHEMES.

HOSPITAL EXTENSION. MANY MILLIONS INVOLVED., AUSTRALIA AND N.Z. Both in Australia and New- Zealand large-scale extension plans are being put forward by hospital authorities. Auckland's schcnic,-SM outlined by the chairman of the Hospital Board, Mr. Allan J. Moody, in November provides for a Imildintr" scheme estimated to cost f1.500.CK)0. It is planned to erect a maTn or base hospital in the present grounds, to sell the existing office block in Kitchener Street and to build a convalescent home, a chest hospital, and make extensive additions to the Epsom Infirmary. The hoard intend.? to provide 750 beds in this base hospital. The work will be carried out over a period of years. Rapid progress is being made with extensions at a number of Melbourne's largest hospitals (writes our Melbourne Correspondent). Together the plans involve expenditure of £2,000,000. Royal Melbourne Hospital's £800,000 building on the Pig Market site is the larnesC but preliminary work on the ground-cannot begin until the new year. By then the City Council has undertaken to make the site available, and contracts will be let for demolitions and clearing. Prince Henry's Hospital's 13-storey Imilding will toon be looking down ort the tallest buildings in the city, because of the absence of height restrictions in the South Melbourne municipality. This, the central block, will cost about £250,000. The pathological block and medical school were completed last year. Alfred Hospital lias a £400,000 seheme in progress. A new nurses' home has been completed. Work has begun on the first unit of construction in a new diagnostic and research block. Austin Hospital's intermediate hospital for cancer and chronic disease— the first of its kind in Australia—costing £50,000, is to be completed in February, under the building schedule. It is expected that the hospital will come into use at the beginning of April. The new pathological and research block for the women's hospital, costing £42.000, and made possible by the ponerosity of Sir Charles C'onnibere, is almost linWicd, and probably will be opened in'. .» new year. State Cabinet recently approved subsidies of £152,000 for hospital buildings, comprising £04,000 in loans and £58,000 free grant, of which £05,000 is to be provided in the current linancial year. They are:— St. Vincent's Hospital.—Xew casualty ward; £10,000 jrrant and £10,000 loan. Total cost £30,000. Alfred Hospital.—Modernising buildings. Additional grant £20.000, additional loan £20,000. Bairnsdale Hospital.—Xew buildings; £18,000 grant, £18,000 loan. Total, cost £40,000. Geelong.—Additional aoebminodation at Kitchener Memorial Hospital. Loan £40,000. Geelong.—Rebuilding plan at St. Augustine's Orphanage. Grant £10,000, loan £0000. Total cost £80,000.