HOSPITAL VISITING AFFECTED

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25207, 11 June 1947, Page 6

HOSPITAL VISITING AFFECTED

POSITION AT BURWOOD AND TWO WARDS IN CITY Unless arrangements can be mad* for direct power supply, during th* evening cut-outs, to the Burwood Hospital, and to wards 12 and 13 at the Christchurch Public Hospital, visiting of patients at night will have to be discontinued. Neither Burwood nor the two wards mentioned has an auxiliary lighting plant, and it is felt by the North Canterbury Hospital Board that it would not be possible to have visitors in wards lit only by storm lanterns. It was stated yesterday by the secretary of the board (Mr Alex Prentice) that the board appreciated the difficulty faced by tne M.E.D. To supply tho lighting needed would probably mean the provision of direct lines, and they might not be practicable. In the meantime, the special bus services running to Burwood, taking visitors during th* evening, have been cancelled until further notice. The Burwood Hospital has about Iw patients, as well as an additional quota of mothers and infants in the matenity annexe. In the two wards at th* Christchurch Public Hospital affeefed by the lighting restrictions the number of patients is 84. \ It is also expected that a number ot private hospitals and maternity homes, visiting hours for which are usually « night, will be affected by the switching off of lights from 6.45 to 7.45 PJ®’ EMERGENCY COOKING EQUIPMENT Most indoor supper rooms which were affected first by the gas restrictions more than a month ago and lately by the threat of electricity rationifif have installed stand-by generators, am last evening there appeared to be littw disorganisation through the black-out The city’s “pie carts’’ were not affected until last evening. They brisk business while the normal power supply w r as available, and during tne shut-down periods they used spirit stoves to fry eggs, but in some cases : chips were off the menu because oi lack of equipment Sufficient heal.remained in the electric ovens to keep pies hot for a considerable tim*. PUBLIC LIBRARY HOURS The Canterbury Public Libr< ££ closed during the hour of the eanyevening black-out last evening; but tne staff worked in the office with sene lamps. The librarian (Mr B-•: Bell) said that the afternoon cut na caused some inconvenience; but tner was sufficient daylight to carry t The library committee would me this week to discuss the situation,, n said. There might be some alterauo in week-end evening hours. Other references to the power sb®rtage appear on page 8.