Children’s Ward Causing Concern

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29860, 28 June 1962, Page 9

Children’s Ward Causing Concern

Remedies for the present state of the children's ward at the Christchurch Hospital were hard to find, but every opportunity was being taken to improve the situation, the chairman of the North Canterbury Hospital Board (Professor A. J. Danks) said at a meeting of the board yesterday. There were three conceivable solutions he said: to make other beds available, to extend the existing ward, or to get entirely new accommodation, A suggestion that ward 13 might be taken over had been thoroughly investigated, but found impracticable. The prospects of adding to the existing ward 9 were now being examined, but this was unlikely to be a complete solution. In view of the planning for a new unit at the Princess Margaret Hospital. it would not be economic to spend too much on the old wards and even a large expenditure was not likely to result in a fully up-to-date and ample provision for the need.

The board's long-term policy was to implement the planned scheme at the Princess Margaret Hospital. Mrs J. E. Mackay, chairman of the board's institutions committee, said that

unless the additions at the Princess Margaret Hospital were approved, the board would be forced to add to ward 9 at the Christchurch Hospital. “We are very concerned, as we are lagging behind very badly in our pediatric work,” she said.