Hospital extensions

Press, 12 September 1984, Page 2

Hospital extensions

The Governor-General, Sir David Beattie (second left), and Lady Beattie (second right) inspect the new operating theatre at St George’s Hospital in Papanui Road. Sir David, who opened the new hospital extensions yesterday, is with the theatre sister, Miss Joan Grogan. Before Sir David unveiled the new plaque at the hospital, the extensions were blessed by the Bishop of Christchurch, the Rt Rev. Maurice Goodall. The $640,000 extensions include the theatre,' which is the third theatre at the

hospital, an anaesthetic room, a 10-bed recovery room, and changing rooms for medical staff. The chairman of the board of directors, Mr I. L. Ford, said yesterday that the new theatre was a necessity. "Our present two theatres have been used beyond their existing capabilities and this new theatre will take a big load off them,” he said. The number of operations

performed at the hospital each year was now about 5000, and the new theatre would probably mean an increase in that number. "The main thing is getting the load off the other two theatres,” said Mr Ford. He noted the speed with which the hospital’s supporters and friends had raised money to pay for the theatre. More than $350,000 had been raised in the last eight weeks. The target was $400,000.

The theatre would come into use about mid-October, said the matron, Mrs Patricia Moore. Everything was completed except the air-conditioning unit, which was waiting for parts from overseas. The recovery room was “most exciting,” as it had 10 beds compared with the other two rooms, which had six. The new theatre’s design was the same as the other two, which were built in 1969. There had been no update in design, as the others seemed to be ideal, Mrs Moore said.