“MAGNIFICENT HOSPITAL”

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26122, 26 May 1950, Page 2

“MAGNIFICENT HOSPITAL”

I hope you will all take a progressive attitude towards the new St. Helens Hospital,” said Dr. L. C. L. Averill, addressing the annual meeting of the Friends of St. Helens at St. Helens Hospital yesterday. “We hear much adverse criticism—it is too costly; it has not enough beds—but I feel differently/’ he continued. “We have a magnificent hospital and I think that is as it should be: officialdom should show its appreciation of young mothers and concern for their" welfare.” Personally, Dr. Averill said, the only fault he had to find with the new hospital was that it had too many single rooms—about 40 single rooms and four double rooms. When he expressed this opinion before the hospital was built he was told that the provision of single rooms was “a world trend." but he still thought that many young mothers did better when thev shared a room in hospital than when they were alone. Nevertheless. Christchurch had a fine hospital of which the citizens mighjt' well be proud and he looked forward to the day when there would be regular and frequent air communication between Christchurch and Australia and consequent frequent visits both wavs of doctors and nurses. Then Christchurch would be 'happy to show to Australian visitors its modern maternity hospital.