Hospital aims for more beds

Press, 15 July 1980, Page 6

Hospital aims for more beds

An alternative proposal to provide more orthopaedic < beds for Christchurch Hospi- i tai is being- examined by the 1 North Canterbury Hospital i Board. j .•> The board must provide 1 temporary orthopaedic ■ wards to take the place of ; the . 64-year-old Chalmers block which is earmarked 1 for demolition. ' .

Until yesterday. the plan was : to improve, the old Ward 7 and Ward 8 to provide about 60 orthopaedic beds while the $25 million third stage of .the hospital is being built. However - the board’s works committee announced yesterday that Ward 9 would be renovated for orthopaedic use instead of Ward 7.

THis. will ' provide 80 orthopaedic beds instead of the 60 possible through the improvement of Wards 7 and 8.

The decision to examine She Ward 9 proposal is the result of the $350,000 cost to improve the ward for an intensive-care unit. The conversion of Ward 7 for intensive care would fall within the Government guideline of about $200,000. No date has been given for completion of the con- . version of Wards 8 and 9 for orthopaedic use. The head of the hospital’s orthopaedic department (Mr W. A. Liddell) said yesterday that he stood' by his previous statement that the department required 90 to 100 beds. - ■ > “The demand is often well 1 over the 80 beds, but the ' Health Department has decreed that there shall be no expansion.” ■ . A user committee meeting to discuss the alternative proposal for 80 orthopaedic beds will be held today.