NEW CASHMERE HOSPITAL

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26672, 5 March 1952, Page 2

NEW CASHMERE HOSPITAL

TENDERS TO GO TO CABINET

DECISION WITHIN FEW WEEKS

Tenders for the construction of the new public hospital at Cashmere will be submitted to the Cabinet for approval .within the next week or two. They have already been examined by the Health Department and the Works Department, This was announced yesterday by the Minister of Health (Mr J. R Marshall), who has completed a tour of inspection of hospitals and institutions controlled by the North Canterbury Hospital Board. It is understood that work on the new hospital will be started soon after the Cabinet approves the tenders. The work will be included among the major building projects to be undertaken in New Zealand. The North Canterbury Hospital Board was facing problems common to all the larger boards in New Zealand. Mr Marshall said. A rapidly growing population was imposing considerable strain on existing hospitals. Hospital services in Christchurch had been built up by adding to the original buildings, which went back to 1870. continued the Minister. This had called for much improvisation, but now the time had come for extensive building. '' This had been recognised by the Government, and works which had been begun and for which tenders had been called or accepted were valued at more than £1,000,000. , Although much of this amount would be absorbed by the cost of the new hospital, more than £lOO,OOO would be for sundry works round' Christchurch. Sketch plans bad been j approved or authorised for additional work to cost more than £600,000. Future Projects

Future projects which had not yet reached the planning stage but to which serious consideration would be given were estimated to cost up to £2,000,000, said Mr Marshall. These included extensions to the Burwood Hospital, and the rebuilding of the oldest wards at the Christchurch Hospital. It was important. Mr Marshall said, that hospital planners should take long-term views on future development, At the same time, basic plans must be sufficiently flexible to allow for changing trends in population, advances in medical knowledge, and progress in hospital planning. This was the attitude the Health Department was taking in planning hospital development in Christchurch.

The Government appreciated the difficulties and problems facing the hospital board, and Christchurch citizens could be assured that the Government and the Health -Department would co-operate in helping to solve the problems. Mr Marshall added. In spite of the difficulties, he believed that Christchurch hospitals were showing a co-operative spirit which was most encouraging and assured Christchurch people of the best service under present conditions.