THE FEVER WARD.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 430, 12 February 1909, Page 7

THE FEVER WARD.

c BOARDS IN doNFERENCE, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S ' ATTITUDE. -The ; Hospital ' Trust-cos , andi/lJistrict Hospita Board, • in; refwence to the/ f ever -. hospital qUestioh'was held at the-Town Hall yestorday afternoon. Thero were present: tho Hon. C. M.: Ltiko (elected, chnirmnn), Messrs. J. P. Luke, R. C Kiife. C. J Crawford, J W. M'Ewali, J. Murdoch, J. Godber, G. London, W, H. Halos, J. Rod, A. Smith and J., Dailltß Drs Frcngloy, Ewart, and Hardfrick-Snlith; wfere also.; irt .attendance: '. ; ..The question of admitting press ropresontatives was raised.;' ; Tlio chairman:,lt is for you to, . thought' it. better, to allow Julhpublicityjiinless;there vras; sonio,;reason, for excluding the reporters. '. . < ' : .- Jir, Kit-lc. said- that,, architects' estimates should bo kept back. - ■ ■ . This suggestion-was adopted, ahd tho re-porters-.remained. ' , ■ The chairman opened by remarking,-- that •they wanted tho masimuin of cbmfort and eiliCieiicy at tho hospital, with a minimum or Cost. Mr. J. P. Luke Opens. Mr. J. P. Luko (chairman of tho Hospital Board) "Said iit; Was.- only due, tolthe members if ho gave, a few facts, as ho had been in In the first place, thor propbsal' fdr a conferenoe ; haci :6hianated from; the lioard. There was feeling possibly that, they had no . supervision- oyerSthe i trustees, but lie hoped that "the members of both boards would net; approach; the question -With -"tllati- ia - their minds, but ; with proper i public Bpirit.;;;.They had received the firstirit-iittr ation of /what ' ivas; going on from a speech by'theNfchairman; ; showing that;the;requirements' ; :of-.th6''-tr,uetees: tvere going t-o be of a very largo bharaeter. v As; ohairm^ : of .the : -board ■ he'had, thought if; his duty to bring; up tho matter,; and ,-hfr vhad;. said; that"' tho - would - bo in a, peculiar' position-' When the Trustees' detttafids r C'4i)i6 to ,'.lev-y - oil therllbfial i.fiuthorities: for/a; considerable amount of rtlqiioy. Over and above.what was levied;ifr; previous j-ears. He: suggested, that : the, confereilee should. bo held to go into the question ;of .expense,j.ilV>yhich: they.' had'.to be; ,-gtiided ;■ by, men, ...who ; ; rhfght ;.be : supreme frotn.; tho healthhoist of- view, though th'6:.haiJttibfefs might to;conceded some laei; Ufe;to what ;.\vaß' right in tho matter so, practical. ;.concerned;; ' His. .Watf -this : L When . tbei.scheirie was tIiQL: cost•Stoxild > beV;£lsjOOO 'of, _ £16,000 for, the : fever' hospital, . aiid the diphtheria and measles .toiiti'-.'-VBikt tthii. 'ainbutlii.-. L-how .'down' to did net. include, the . Value -of .the; land alia "ctist tlf , ekcavatiin. - The; statement' life- -hid iUhds • thatit'would ■' best ;£6OO •, per, \be'dvTjrpuld*.: be amply proved, arid' .of' ilib his ; mind;-'and-l-hej hoped;, the imefflbers'/wbuld-.pardaiV: /"HiSii'Bp i SaliihgV;W^-t«iS;- v -T| r ay»,.' ; .th©Vi.bpaTd.i were; 'histifited;viil feeeilig if they: 6oUld;nbt illduCO ■.th^^ : trts^B^.tb'Vbnflg! : |dß#'n. , ;•iaa- r alwrliativ6 , ■ sohCnie ,to get. the Same ..efßcieft'cy: 1 ;, Nyith" ,fe-. ducod' eSpenJe.. •He Was surprised to hear :.tiliaT> ;va'>-% building, v-:-tey-'(?ive ; V : ' , ithe : Same nlimbet; of'.betis. as, a-.one-6tpried-;bttild'' pfictleally ;■the 6ame ■ iin'eurit ! ;of mollfey; ' hilt the al'chitoCt.. said iio( Ho : hoped ; finality ?be,'reached;;that : - ■The; question, could be-'dealt,.with; ; fully;: fetid- : th^'i-^tlievt'ltHsal-"vbod les';-' iiauld'to : -i tp^finaace-:.''tho : ' : :wasy.tp^be;borrowed,;let';it be doiio under, the principles acted: ..upon, ; . by ; local bodies 1 generally. . i. 1

Vhe Cost Per Bed. 1 ;''-/Mhl:;.^dbcif.; : :Oitpte ; ati-His 'abjfeU'eb;,. the/'previous .'cbnfero^ thought ■•;'per:;,:bed' ; : an^ertremely'slarge imbuut/Fttlld' lf:.this' .waS- expehtlbd: it' lvoUld: . lead to .trouble. The' estimate had been; reduced, aiid this , was'' a "step in tho: right v:: ; Iil a question' of: buildings;:' ; to: ; ,Judge' thahr^aieaiebll'i'bfflbersJ'^and.rihoyr^m^Mynave: :prop'Bf.:VabbbnlmOdatibh'!. : of'-tlib!-/j; T!ho. chairman -'explained • that ho -did':iioii know .how. the qUestibil. of! the cost per. bed' arose,!:;- the'time: was : '£288 ; larger<^scheme . providing; for C 0 : bed s. - Ull der;t-h6 £1(1,000' schbnie, :tlio: ooSt }■ &nd.; tllby :'SpOlteibh:.that ',uasisV;^hb';iimOuht- was. problematical, at'ipre-: cpst.'--oveil';as vjiigjl:. aS l i£6oo::.'p6r:''b^d: ; i.-,That WSb-.beside. :tho question. •; what they had to considcE:was'.what. was(abSolutclj' : tequired; 'and .hbw:.';'tiiey :' could get,.wliak : Was' ; required at- a niiniiftum cost. -. Tliey could eiily form an opinion at' this stage. ;S : Mf. Crawford, remarked that the niembera ,nb:' informatioh ; abbut:':,the matter,Sand::hb;regrotted: ; .thQ';tim6''W ; Statements;,were .going about, that; th'e : ;ljeds: 'would'cost £500 each, and tho :cliairman of the: trustees-stated l that': .they-: wbUM:"o'nly:c - ost' olid. '?';'i

Fullest Information Wanted, i '' The olitvirmfln':' I'think it is time thiß sort of thing was put aside. It was what tho .architects :said.;,? lit'if 'it costs :-H\ Vv yfv -'V ' Mr.'lCrawfortl: What tho boardj .this con-"'| fnrei'ibo ahd ,the public \vant■ to kiiow is: will-i/bothe.''actual^cbst; ; of/; thiß:;hos--j pital,' and . tho cost ■ per hod, so ..that'they vcatf-ebmpare;the/:figures;with: thoso -of other [parts, of:-the: country.' .lAyhat.Us; ,the: 7 thing Veally;/ g6ihg : . jto;' eb'et P; v Wo'' \vaat. thb-' fullest i 'information about- tho matter.. •; .- •' . • The eliairiliail: If . tho last ' confpfßnc6- ilf#6 :abortiye;: ittiyaS'largely (its' own faultl .:,V i i;r;Mr.;rGrawfbi'd:::Nonsense. When I asked ;the-questioh,';yoU'.cbuld ; ' Tho chairman i; I told you all ' I knew/about ::it,.V'.lf'.:ho.iis:tdq~ : dense ;to 'understand^- 1 -':';;' ';;;Mr. : v-,Crawfbfd^ -jtibjcbtei; ; The ehairnii\i\: And'.Lwon't have.any personalities'.- . ' . : . ■■■ Mri 'McEwatf: It's of iljttlo use beating :the :'aif.:;;i This'is/largely-beside tho .'foreVus;: Brick or. Wooden Building. .. Tho • chairman asked Dr. trbngley if - he Scheme that could bo eliminated. ■' .Dr.' Freflgley: said that: the' Health Do-■ ipartmeht. 'would bo : . jireparod to pass.,tho plans if tho building was of-' wood,:, provided; ■lt'-^vasOiried^,in t !:'sucn , 'a'■;way i .'as.'^to,'.be easily cleaned. That was the only wily that a reduction in the cost could bo made. • The "varied 'appiirtenances hild been reduced ; :to a ''miiiimum;- and;:the Depai'tmbnt" would: prefer., -to see; ;the: full scheme aone on. with=m: some ;idss'.' :^rmanent':::fo'rm' i 'pt;/ : buildinei'V';He;.:wiis' aSked.' to 'imake' it .quite .clear ,the:' Department would pass wooden buildings be- ! causo the' Department might.be accused of 'hivihg- : fbrced : :the. board; into''tho; additional' expense.' buildings, - of;'tho"type. de'sighed'by ;th'ei Would'.'uilfleubtedly: be , safer.. In ' , regard • ■ tllo 'chil-, dren ' admitted 'to . tho building, tho.v would have, a hotter chance ;of ;.avblding tho ■risk' :;of eoiltkhliiilitioll ;''jil '-a 1:: brick-■;. building :than-. in a wooden, one with . lining. ■. ; On the question of circular rectangular;', buildings,: Dr. Krcngley: stated that .the''former' .was'-.preferable, 1 -:,; and' -he-.under-: ' stood the '^doctors. agreed with him. :|: The,.;chalrinan. asked a question Concerning the cost per bed. ■ ,: Dr.;, I'rengley qUotod ft rbc<ignised:.'saiiitary iournal. showing lih(ii .the :average.,costrper bed. in English hospitals. ranged-, from. £'281 to £512. V: -

. Mr. Pi ' Lu]io!..lf: wo- put Up , a wooden building—l art-.' not laying that I ; anl ill favour. of it—and ensured 'sanitary rangemcnta with the idea-of its - being v'do- : molmhed in twfinty years,' would that be good sound fommori Spiik*? Di\ Ereiigley-i.lt would bo if. the peoplo of Wellington, wofe prepared to. build do novo. ".' Dr. Kwart pointed Out that iio mote than 30, patients could; be. accommodated. He thought : It ."was hot right for- the Health Department- to say that. thoy- Would pass ■ a 1 Wooden, building, as it would become- saturated witirgttmijrt about SOVen J'Oftrs, and lmvc to be destroyed. ■ : Triistoos to Formulate a Schome. ' Mr. j. J..Luk'esaicl that a definite conclusion ishould.be arrived at.Ho suggested that the' 'trustees - fOrmulatO a scheme aild: bring it dowiV in a concrete form and state , the sum required froni.tho board. When this : Was donp howould try to arrange a mooting of the board as soon as possible to go into the ; question of .ways "and.means. Personally, he'.was in .favour of a. circular' 1 building; . . . He thought a motion should be passed, in appre-

[ matioiv of tho work of' tHo. obnfercnco and thanking tho doctors for their attendance. Mr. R. C. Kirk moifcd that the No. 3 scheme be proceeded with. • As an amendment, Mr. J. P. Lulte moved that the trustees prepare an ; estimate 1 and plans and sutirtiit them to tho board, as the bo.iicl requited the facts Stated td. tllehl. J?■ s -X as seconded by Mr. Crawford; •Mr. Kirk withdrew his.motion iti favour of Mr. LukoV ahieiidniei'lt, which Was carried.: Additions to Cencral Hftspltal. Before tho conferenco.terminated, the question of, additions to the General Hospital ivtlS discussed. "• . .. ■ ■ ; , Tho chairman referred to' the' necessity for putting xip - auditions... One ; ward at least,; was required,' as well as ai; supplementary operating theatre. Diy-.Ewart supported the 'chairman's f.-re-., ■ttiarks, and said that another, ward"was absolutely necessary, .'but the operating theatre could wait another year, y Mr. ,T. P. Luke remarked that,if- £6000. was needed his board would Vo certain to loot ut it from the saino public point of view as the trustees. . ; v At a slibseqUeut meeting of the trustees it was decided to adopt tho No. 3 scheme (the cheapest).. It includes the nurses' home, fover ward,:and administrative buildings/ i ;7.'