Start to medical centre in 6 weeks

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32563, 24 March 1971, Page 20

Start to medical centre in 6 weeks

The establishment of a clinical school of medicine at Christchurch Hospital was the most important medical event that had happened in Canterbury, the dean of the school (Professor G. L. Rolleston) told a meeting of the Christchurch Rotary Club yesterday.

The school will be part of the University of Otago’s faculty of medicine. Professor Rolleston, who was director of radiology at Christchurch Hospital, was appointed the first dean of the school and took up his appointment last month as a member of the University of Otago staff. By 1976 there would be about 180 undergraduate medical students training in the Christchurch hospitals and there would be 30 more doctors a year, said Professor Rolleston. The success of the school depended on it being viable and competitive with the already established clinical schools at Auckland and Dunedin. Christchurch would have to have a degree of autonomy in the running of the school but a council was to be set

up consisting of six members of the Otago University faculty and six members of the North Canterbury Hospital Board. The build-up of staff was probably the most important single factor in ensuring the school being a success. Recruitment of staff would be difficult because salaries in New Zealand were below those of countries such as Australia, the United States and England but there were other ways of attracting staff, one being to provide good facilities.

It was hoped that building of the medical centre would begin in about six weeks, said Professor Rolleston. It would be of nine storeys and would have a floor area of about 82,000 sq. ft. It would be built by the University of Otago and would cost perhaps s3m. Some of the existing buildings at Christchurch Hospital are to be demolished to make room for the medical centre.