HOSPITAL BUILDINGS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 94, 14 February 1947, Page 5

HOSPITAL BUILDINGS

TIME NOT OPPORTUNE BOARD’S WARM DISCUSSION An innocent recommendation from the Works Committee gave rise to a somewhat vehement expression of opinion by members at the February meeting of the Whakatane Hospital Board yesterday. The committee suggested in the face of pressure from the Health authorities that the time was „not opportune for the building of new additions to the .institution and the suggestion of the major undertakings was referred back to the Board. Mr F. Burt said that the attitude of the-committee was that while there was a staff problem—with nurses being attracted elsewhere, it was useless building new facilities which could not be utilised.

“The seriousness of the staffing question must not be lost on the Board,” observed the chairman (Mr J. Mullins). “We have lost the right to act as a training centre and when I personally took the matter up with the authorities I learnt that amenities were not up to standard and unless they are made so, some 12 trainees who are ready to start, will be lost to the profession. Unless the Board is prepared to meet these demands it cannot hope for any consideration.” /

Mr McCrea'dy described the chairman’s argument as weak. He would never favour the expenditure of another £IOO,OOO when the real root of the trouble lay in the unsatisfactory supervision. Mr Mullins: The representative from headquarters in Wellington will be visiting Whakatane in the near future to discuss matters pertaining to the hospital. All members will then be given a chance to speak! He' went on to say that the Department recommended that 50 extra rooms for nurses should be constructed and a further 15 for domestics.

Mr McCready: Until we clean up the unsatisfactory state of affairs, the nurses won’t stay, even if we gave them Buckingham Palace to live in!

I’d favour spending even £200,000, if we only knew where we were _ heading, said Mr Burt. At the present time we find we’re building a little bit here; a little bit there and the whole haphasard business leading to nothing we can see as a completed plan., As it is I’m against . spending more money. Mr Caulfield agreed. The chairman said that with the pegging of the hospital rate, it would mean that the valuation of the county would have to go up 10Q. * per cent, before the rate could be raised. The Government he felt sure would see to it that the money would not be authorised unless it was needed for essential works.

Mr Burt strongly condemned the chairman’s attitude which he said favoured spending more money at a time when ratepayers were a}-, ready very dissatisfied with the basis of levy. Mr Buddie pointed out that according to the Department, the Board had still to build up to date facilities for the staff of the institution today. If when the staff position mended the Board then set to work to build, it would* be so much '- behind. r •

The Board decided to await the’ visit of the representative from the / Nurses and Midwives Registration. Board which is due to take place' within a week, when the whole question of accommodation and the Hospital generally could be discussed and a course of action formulated later.