18 months to spinal unit

Press, 15 October 1976, Page 6

18 months to spinal unit

The long-awaited SI.SM spinal-injury unit at Burwood Hospital may be completed within 18 months.

The North Canterbury Hospital Board announced on Wednesday that a tender had been let to T. H. Alexander Building Co. Ltd, to begin work on the complex, which was first authorised by the Government in 1970. Eleven tenders were received.

Building is likely to begin within the next two months. The 30-bed unit described as the most advanced in New Zealand and Australia, should be finished in 72 weeks. It is pan of a S4M building project at the hospital.

The board has also called tenders for a new $2 5M kitchen and cafeteria complex as part of Stage 1 building at Christchurch Hospital. In the past, there have been delays getting approval for the scheme from the Health Department, and now the board is anxious to have the kitchen completed and has given it a high priority.

Nine tenders have been received. The closing date for tenders is November 4. Once the tender has been let, the work is expected to take 40 weeks.

With the spina! unit at Burwood Hospital the board intends to build a physicalmedicine complex which will include an area for archery, javelin throwing, basketball, and a wheelchair-dash strip. A helicopter landing area has also been included, and space has been allowed for development of the site. Discussions on these projects are proceeding.

The spinal unit originally estimated to cost 5280.000,

will serve about half the national population, south of Hamilton.

The Health Department has also given the board authority to prepare tender documents of just over SIM for the Burwood Hospital’s site services and services subway. However, design changes may take considerable replanning and mean further delays.