Facilities At Women’s Hospital

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31774, 3 September 1968, Page 14

Facilities At Women’s Hospital

At St Helens Hospital, soon to become the Christchurch Women’s Hospital, there are isolation facilities in a separate wing where a mother with an infectious complaint and her babyare nursed together. This assurance was given yesterday in a joint statement by the medical superintend-ent-in-chief of the North Canterbury Hosp’tal Board (Dr L. M. Berry) and the medical p~f nf t b e hosnital (Mr G. I. Louisson).

“Wp also have a fullv -hie'ded radiotherapy denari me n t and ward,” they said. They made the statement in replv to the president of the Christchurch Parents’ Centre (Mrs N. Sutherland), who had said there was no reason why maternity services in Christchurch should be less medically advanced than those at the National Women’s Hospital in Auckland. “On the rare occasions when a physiotherapist is required at unusual hours, we do provide a 24-hour service,” the statement by Dr Berry and Mr Louisson said. “With the geography of Christchurch and the methods of obstetric practice, there has been no need demonstrated for a flying squad. We do have a neonatal ‘flying squad’ which takes a trained sister and special incubator to bring a new-born babe requiring special treatment in to our neonatal unit. “There are facilities for rooming-in and demand feeding in the private ward at the women’s hospital,” the statement added. “We do not allow husbands in the delivery theatres there, but these facilities are available in other hospitals run by the board if they are required.” The statement also answered a statement by Mrs Sutherland that the parents’ centre was disappointed that discussion of the emotional needs of the baby and its family had been omitted from a series of lectures to be held to mark the change of name of the hospital. “The conference in Christ-

church Is being attended and addressed by people of worldwide reputation whose voice is authoritative and must be widely heeded,” Dr Berry and Mr Louisson said. "Several members of the staff of the National Women’s Hospital are included. It is obvious that in a meeting of only three days and a half full coverage can be given only to a restricted field. “The course is designed to cover recent advances and some entirely new concepts in detecting and treating physiological disturbances

occurring in the child before and immediately after birth. “All members of the hospital board’s staff and many outside doctors are members of the Christchurch Hospitals' Post-graduate Society, which is organising the meeting. Because it believes in the importance of the subject, the society is making all its funds for the year available to cover the cost. “In this it is being assisted by several considerable donations from interested outside organisations.” The statement added: “No-

one doubts the importance of the psychological side of obstetric practice, but the present course is aimed at new concept of physiological disturbances.

“We can assure the people of Christchurch that the women’s hospital will provide a highly trained and skilled medical and nursing staff for whom the practice of their profession is a life-time study to improve their knowledge and efficiency in all relevant fields, and that the standard of patient care will be on the highest possible level.”