POWER SUPPLY TO HOSPITALS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27500, 6 November 1954, Page 2

POWER SUPPLY TO HOSPITALS

HEATHCOTE COUNTY’S DILEMMA

“FOUR INSTITUTIONS BUT ONLY 1000 CONSUMERS” An uninterrupted supply of power for the Cashmere was sought by the North Canterbury Hospital Board in a letter received last evening by the Heathcote County Council. It was claimed that power cuts were causing “some difficulties” at the sanatorium.

The council decided ; to advise the board that over the years it had been doing its best by giving the sanatorium an uninterrupted supply when necessary. The board will ftfso be reminded that it has previously been urged to persuade the Government to install a stand-by plant. “We have hot been able to come anywhere near our allocation, even though our cuts have been so very drastic,” said the electrical inspector, Mr W. S. Blandford, in a report to the council. “The reason that we cannot achieve our target is that we have the sanatorium, the new hospital, Kantarie, Rhodes convalescent, ana many other .'nursing homes. These institutions cannot be subjected to the usual cuts, and our 1000-odd consumers cannot carry them.” The chairman (Mr F. W. (Freeman) said that there were cuts between 9 a.m. and 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. and 7 p.m, “Certain Of our residents are nonplussed and they want to know why the cuts are so much heavier than in the M.E.D. area.” ' , _ To Cr. R. A. Young, Mr Blandford said the sanatorium had never been denied power. When they telephoned him the supply had been kept on for operating purposes. To leave the supply on to the sanatorium, substations had to be cut individually, which was not a small task. Mr Freeman said that they had repeatedly suggested to the hospital board over the years that thev should have a stand-by, plant for the sanaMr Blandford said that since 1950 consumption in the Heathcote area had risen more than 100 per cent, and in Cashmere by more than 50 per cent. The matron of the Karitane Hospital had reported to him that they were having “extreme difficulty” in the washhouse as a result of the 9 a.m. to 10.30 a.m, cut. To give power to the sanatorium would mean that they would also have to give it to the Karitane Hospital, the Rhodes Home, and all the other nursing homes. r When allocations were fixed in Wellington, no allowance was made for the description of the load, he said. Cr. J. S. Scott: I think hospitals should have power before anyone else They should not have power cuts of any description. j . Cr. Young: I agree that hospitals should have power, but with the South Island grid position in such a parlous state, consumption has got to be cut down in some way. It does seem to me that an institution like the sanatorium should have a stand-by piant so that it is not dependent on a small community like Cashmere. People are complaining. , ~ The chairman said that they should reply to the board that the council had been doing its best over the years by giving the sanatorium an uninterrupted supply when necessary. “We should also refer them to o.ur previous communications when we pleaded with them to get the Government to install a stand-by plant. Even if there were no restrictions there should be a stand-by plant there.” It was ridiculous that there should be daily cuts of two and a half hours in the county and only an hour cut in the city, saia Cr. Scott. The chairman said the position would not be remedied until the hospital had a stand-by plant. «