Hospital gear approved

Press, 9 December 1976, Page 2

Hospital gear approved

The North Canterbury Hospital Board has been authorised by the Health' Department to order the more expensive items of equipment for its new clinical sen ices block, the works committee was told yesterday. The original estimate for. equipment was about SI 4M. The board had been authorised to spend $552,627 on equipment, but was limited to items costing $l5OO or less including beds, chairs and desks. Diagnostic equipment may now be imported. X-ray equipment, which has been installed, is not included. Committee members were concerned, at the delay in Health Department approval for the board to accept the lowest tender for the new kitchen and cafeteria as part of stage I buildings at Christchurch Hospital. The department will be asked its reasons for the detav. The new wards and clinical services block at the hospital are due for completion next tear and the Army will help each department to move in. The chairman of the board (Mr T. C. Grigg) said after the meeting that the exercise would be made part of the Army's training programme. Each department must move quickly to become functional as soon as possible, sa<d Mr Grigg. Among those moving will be occu-' pational therapy physiotherapy and pharmacy. The board hopes to convert Whakatata House, on the corner of Montreal and Cashel Streets, into a child health clinic. Whakatata House was a. private hotel, and then housed the economics de-' partment of the University i of Canterbury. It is now' empty and the board hopes to buy it. The committee recommended that two rooms in. the building be used for 1 Four Avenues School during' the first school term next year, ar the school's expense and with no responsibility or liability on the board. A letter from the school said they were short of'

space and the two rooms . would be needed temporarily until other accommodation was found. 1 Discussing Burwood Hospital. members were told a planning committee had recommended helicopter 1 landings be made on an ‘ open grassed area there 'when the spinal injury unit was completed, but that no r provision be made for night • landings. The medical superin ten-; i dent-in-chief (Dr 1.. McH. I Berry) agreed. The. main 1 p purpose of the landing area ) would be in bringing in people from outlying areas. Lighting could be added' r later, he said. i Dr Berrv said there were more important items in , which money should be ' spent before helicopter-pad i lighting. If a person was) , critically ill it was likely he] would be taken straight to) t the accident and emergency] , department of Christchurch! , Hospital. ' Mr C. F. Whitty suggested a sub-committee study the) question of lighting as the ’ spina! injury unit would] : probably have the most' ’ modern facilities in Austra5 lasia when completed. The matter will be discussed at the next meeting tof the works committee,, r I next year. A proposal by the Bur-; f wood Hospital Social Club •to establish a recreation centre for patients at the t hospital will be considered. ■ The club suggests that tea ■ and coffee making facilities. ! a television and reading area' ■'and such activities as bowl-i ■ ing and television be offered. The committee appreciated • the proposal and will con-1 t sider it further. Money for! I the project would be proI vided by 7 the club and it isj likely land would be profi vided by the board, if the i offer is accepted. •I After long delays in com‘pletion of two villas at ’! Sunnyside Hospital it had i been agreed they be occupied by patients and staff, I one on December 16 and the! rother in the New Year, thej committee was told. ;• The board has been wait-] : ing for such work as laying! of grass and landscaping] around the villas to be com-] pleted. Some minor work! still remained, the committee . fl was told. i; M