FEVER HOSPITAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 435, 18 February 1909, Page 5

FEVER HOSPITAL.

WHO IS TO BUILD IT? DR. FINDLAY'S VIEWS. - BOARD DELEGATES ITS POWERS. . At yesterday's meeting of the Wellington district Hospital Hoard, Dr. Frongloy, District Health Officer, attended ,and : explained tho*"position..regarding the orection of the fever hospital. Ho stated that after the site, size, and plans .of tho hospital had been 1 approved by the District Health Officer,v tho cost of: providing; and-maintaining the institution could bo apportioned amongst'tho vari-; out local bodies, according to an agreement to" be arrived at at a meeting of the local bodies': representatives to bo called by the Distriot Health; Officer. .

Tlio Chairman (Mr. J. P. Luko) said that they we're''all desirous of having the matter.! settled. There was no disagreement, it was only a difference of opinion, which was to be expected ; when tho people concerned represented -different bodies. Tho' Hospital Trustees Would build, equip, arid maintain the hospital in accordance with the ■ Act,- and. the i Hospital.Board liadino 'desire to depart:from the provisions of tho Act. What the bdard I wanted was'to have some voice in the matter of the erection,- not: to shirk their ,responsibil 7 ity;:;'The site which had been selected for the fever ; hospital was ono that, in less than 15 years, Would:be required for the purpose of extending the General Hospital, and they would. then have there a hospital that, was. 'charged with .'fever'germs*-- According. - to medical authorities, such a building ■ would riot be fit..to use as a part of the General Hospital. and would have, to bo destroyed. It was nis opinion, that'a wooden building, plas? tered throughout on the inside and floored with _concrete, would be as safe as a brick building. , "Such a. building could bq put ;up much cheaper, than one in brick: it would meet .the" requirements of tho Health Department, and it would, last quite as long as they would require a .fever hospital on that site.. In lo years'. time extensions of tho General Hospital would be placed on the site at present allocated for tlio-fever hospital, and, in . such., a ; case, a ' Wooden . building could be pulled without any loss being incurred. ; -.'Mr. J. Wi M'Ewan remarked that ' he agreed with the.trustees in. desiring .'a.brick building. As to the question of tho site being required for: tho General Hospital, l a large amount was now down for expenditure; on that.: the institution, and it was not likely, that further improvements or extensions would bo necessary for at least 25 years. There .'were a great many. disadvantages connected with a wooden building, v He believed:,that, infection .from outside was likely;', and ; this; would' not. be prevented; by having: the inside of the place plastered; Also he had heard, from a medical authority that . the life, of an erection in wood was 'not more" than seven years. . .'Mr. R.\C. Kirk'said that;'lie. understood that the primary ; duty :<jf providing, for . tlio; treatment of .infectious diseases, lay 'with the Hospital 'Board, v Under • the present'; condi-tions,-however,' the trustees: could carry: out ,tbo work better, and under the clause of the Act which Dr. Frenglcy had just read, they Oonld' delegate their authority to the trus-; tees. .The trustees, would then have to meet the.local'.;bodies,'and- confer"with'them. re-, garding .the.' apportiorimerit of the cost. The board had not really to find the money, but tho moriey liad to pass throligh ithem from' the local bodies to the body that .was carry-, ing out tho work. As that was tlio position; he - did i not' tliirik they need wa'ste their' time considering - whether , the building should' be of bridk or wood. v . ■ In answer to a' question by Mr.' Godber. Mr. Luke said that though the Obligation, of erecting tho hospital was thrown upon them, they could /delegate their powers to the trustees;;-. '• t

: Dr. Frengley. further:; explained . that' a coiiferonce:-of contributing bodies 'could bo called together by the Health ''Officer:.to arrange for the I apportionment of cost. . • Mr." Luke moycdi , '"That ,in . the opinion, of this.'board, with 1 the, information obtained from' Dr- Frengley, and considering the Act,' ;yt'';is"-'desiralj]e.that the matter of providing for an infectious .diseases- hospital.be.determined by/the local'authorities'in; conjunction with the Chief Health Officer." v' : Mr. : Kirk 'pointed .out. that the authority, which this motion would give -was already conferred under the Act. ■ , ' ■ Mr. Luke, therefore'amended his motion so as to delegate the powers of tho board to the trustees.. • This was seconded and carried. "V-