"FACTS MIS-STATED"

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 203, 27 August 1943, Page 4

"FACTS MIS-STATED"

MIDDLEMORE PROJECT

PROVIDING FOR WOUNDED

(0.C.) WELLINGTON, Thurs. Discussing the new hospital being erected at Middlemore, Otahuhu, the Minister of Health, Mr. Nordmeyer, said that to say that the Auckland Hospital Board had not been consulted in the matter was a mis-state-ment of fact. The Minister added that he was surprised that the chairman of the board, Mr. Allan J. Moody, should have made such inaccurate statements as those reported.

Mr. Moody had publicly stated that the Minister, Avith officers of the Health and Public Works Departments had conferred with himself and the Hospital Board's architect, medical superintendent and secretary. Mr. Moodwas also aware that every phase of lay-out and planning had been discussed with the medical superintendent of the board, the Public Works officers and the Health Department, and agreement on all points had been reached.

Plan of Model Hospital

"Mr. Moody infers that the board's architect has not been consulted and that he (Mr. Moody) will not permit of his being consulted unless a definite fee is paid. It would appear as if Mr. Moody is trying to coerce Mr. Farrell into accepting a fee when he has already expressed his desire to co-operate with the Government officers in producing a plan of a model hospital.

"It would appear that Mr. Moody is blaming the Government for not permitting the erection of the multistoreyed ward block at the Green Lane Hospital," added the Minister. "He knows only too well that there are limited quantities of reinforcing steel, and that the erection of such types of structure was not permitted during the last 12 months. It would appear that Mr. Moody is trying to mislead the public into the belief that there has been departmental interference in withholding the permit for the erection of this building.

"Mr. Moody has been informed of the circumstances which make it desirable to erect at Otahuhu the hospital which is already in process'of construction. It is imperative that early steps should be taken to increase the number of beds available for our sick and wounded servicemen. The responsibility for providing this is that of the local hospital board, which is recouped the full cost of treatment from the War Expenses Account. t Urgency of Work

"In this instance the Government, in view of the urgency of the matter, is taking all the preliminary steps to plan and erect the necessary buildings. The whole design, however, has been planned with a view to ensuring that a permanent hospital of use to the residents of the South Auckland area will be available when it is no longer required for wounded personnel. "While the Government is prepared to erect the building to be taken over by the board at valuation after the Avar, it must be the function of the Auckland Hospital Board to equip and run this institution. This has been made abundantly clear to Mr. Moody in the discussions which have taken place between him and officers of the Public Works and Health Departments."