Christmas In Hospital: Special Cheer Arranged

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28157, 21 December 1956, Page 14

Christmas In Hospital: Special Cheer Arranged

Patients in ward 13 at the Christchurch Hospital will celebrate Christmas in most attractive and rather novel surroundings. They will virtually be transported to the Antarctic, for the ward will present a panorama of ice, ice-axes, penguins, seals, ships and even a polar bear. With the prompting of a very energetic sister, Mr Ray Pockson, a Christchurch signwriter, who is a patient in the ward, has done about 14 paintings of Antarctic scenes in blue and white poster paints on the glass windows along the inside corridor of the ward. The coldness of the blue and white ice vistas of the paintings will be banished by the warmth of the celebration in the ward, because the staff is going to much trouble to make it a merry Christmas for the patients. , , All the wards of the hospital will have their decorations but this is one that will have something different from the traditional, A large placard at the entrance will announce “Trans-Antarctic Expedition,” and at its side will be a map of the Antarctic with ohotographs 'of some oi the New Zealand expedition's huskies. Mr Pocksons realistic paintings show ice, huts, penguins and ships including the United States expedition s ice-breaker. Glacier. The model polar bear is one that has been exhibited in the window of a Christchurch shop. In the middle of all this will be the ward’s Christmas tree. The intention of the staff which plans the celebration of Christmas in the hospital has always been to make it as much as possible like th.at which the patients would enjoy if they were in their own homes and from the detailed arrangements that have gone on for some weeks it is certain that this aim will be in great measure achieved. . , _ One of the most exacting jobs falls to the Chief Dietitian (Mrs A. Rees) and her department. A souvenir menu for “Christchurch Hospital Christmas dinner, 1956.” which will be distributed to each patient, shows that they will have clear soup, steamed fillets of sole, roast chicken and seasoning, roast lamb and mint sauce, green peas, spring carrots, new potatoes, Christmas plum pudding and sauce, fruit salad, orange mousse, meringues, and jelly. Planning for this began some weeks ago when the sisters in charge oi each ward were asked to complete lists of what they estimated would be the requirements of their patients at the time. Since then, Mrs Rees has had to order 2001 b of lamb and 60 fowls for the patients, of whom there will probably be between 350 and 400. As many as possible are allowed to go home for the day for Christmas dinner. However, apart from that. 1701 b ot lamb and 42 fowls have had to be ordered for the staff because about 300 nurses have to be catered for. More than 500 meringues have been made, 1001 b of frozen peas and 1501 b of potatoes will be used and each ward will have its own plum pudding. The kitchen staff at the hospital has been preparing such things as Christmas cakes for several weeks.

Even more detailed planning is required for the meals for patients on .special diets. In this respect, the aim is to make the fare as nearly normal as possible and special diabetic plum puddings and fruit salads are prepared. Decorations in most of the wards at the hospital are not yet up but elaborate plans have been made to ensure that the wards are attractive for the day. Perhaps the greatest efforts are made in the children’s ward where a special tea party is always held on Christmas Eve before the arrival of Father Christmas A Christmas tree in the middle of the ward will be decorated with coloured lights and will be hung with gifts. Father Christmas will distribute a gift to each child in the ward. Last year, at Christmas, the children were unable to have visitors because of the staphylococcus infection but this year on Christmas Day they will be able to have more than the usual two allowed. Balloons, coloured lampshades and streamers will decorate the ward which will have about 25 to 30 older

children and 15 to 20 young children as patients. A lifelike doll in a bassinet given by the women’s section of the Returned Services’ Association is sure to attract much attention. Gifts and decorations are bought by the staff with money given by the Friends of the Hospital, the Hospital Lady Visitors’ Association, the Junior Chamber of Commerce, the North Canterbury Hospital Board and members of the visiting staff. Nor is the spiritual significance ot Christmas neglected at the hospital. Special services for *nurses and patients form a major part of the celebrations. Religious observances include Communion services conducted by the hospital chaplains in the wards on Christmas morning and a service for nurses in the chapel. Already, the nurses have performed a nativity play twice in the chapel. On Christmas Eve, the nurses will form their traditional “serpent ’ to go through the ward singing caiols which they have practised for some weeks.