BOILER FOR HOSPITAL

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29190, 28 April 1960, Page 14

BOILER FOR HOSPITAL

Import Stopped By Department

The purchase of an overseas made boiler for Burwood Hospv tai has been blocked by the De' partment of Health.

The North Canterbury Hospital Board wants to instal the boiler as soon as possible to augment existing equipment at Burwood and also provide for new building development there. The boiler it proposes is of similar manufacture to the one used for Princess Margaret Hospital and is said to be larger than any yet made In New Zealand.

“Construction of Burwood is hanging on this boiler,” said Mr J. B. Hay.

Mr Hay said that the works committee at a previous meeting had accepted a tender for the boiler but had been “immediately turned down from Wellington.” It appeared as if Burwood would have to go through the winter without the boiler, the new surgical block was coming up and if some finality was not reached yet another winter would be encountered without it. “There has not been a boiler of this capacity built in this country and they want us to be the guinea pig and have one built here for Burwood,” Mr Hay said. “There has already been a catastrophe in the North Island and we do not want one of those. People should know it is not the fault of this board that the boiler is not already ordered. We should stress that very strongly to the powers that be in Wellington.”

“The community may suffer by such a decision as they have made, not only here but elsewhere,” said Mr L. A. Bennett. Mr H. O. Hills said thqt the boiler delay was not only holding up work but could affect the design of the boiler-house itself. The board decided it would not accept the department’s ruling and would again emphasise the urgency of the matter and recommend approval of the tender it had already accepted.