HOSPITAL PLAN

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 127, 23 February 1938, Page 6

HOSPITAL PLAN

Suggestions From Petone Councillor NEED IN HUTT VALLEY There were many representatives ut the conference convened by the Minister or Heultli, lion. I’. Kruser, last week, when local body contributories to the Wellington Hospital Boar! l’m ±750,000 loan proposals discuffiett thb scheme from .many aspects. As it suit, not all members of the conference were able to express their views, and the following statement has been made to "The Dominion’’ by Mr. D. M. Dickson, a member of the Petone Borough Council. "Insofar as the present condition of the Wellington Hospital is concerned there is unanimity that it is most unsatisfactory from the point of view of accommodation for both patients and nurses. The obvious filCt Is that the hospital is totally irittdetjuate IB call; acity to cope with tile i’CtlUifChielil.S Uf the Wellington city arid the tapllily developing Hutt ValiOy : “It seems to me that the obviousness of this fact has created a State of panic in the minds of the ffiitjuHtY of the membefS of the Hosdlffti BUiii’d; In their anxiety to provide a bigger and more efficiently equipped hospital than the present otitl tllffite ffieifiUCi'S have overlooked tile fact. that uiii'iiig the. construction period of this new •hospital absolutely no relief will be given so far as the present congestion is concerned. I understand that it would take at least three years to complete the proposed new hospital: Furthermore, it wtliild appbllf tliUt the proposed neW liUSpitai ffii (“ tlffi most, calculated td satisfy Ohly BHlsfeUb day requirements and is bbl ttesigitetl to cope with the ifitifettstt id fihjhiiaf 101 i that is bound to 0661 if ifi the iieit fBW Tt "Tl’ie resttit settibs inevitable! that by the time the ttfeW hospital is CUti.Sti‘iiCl= ed it will tie foiHifi to be iiffidtitjtiille fol' the needs of the district tiffitt; SyettUliig of the proposed iieW hOSpitill, the Directof-Cteiffifttl of Health: Di 1 : M: H: Watt, has silid : ‘Pfbvisidii is ffittde fOf roughly 100 beds ffiOfO tliltn ftfb Hi use to-day, but befOrh tile bliiltliilgS are completed It is fiUt.ttt all UUllltely that the demands Will liiiVe OteftilkßU the available aeeoiuhiotiutioii? Hospital for llutt Valiby. “However, the vital point is that no immediate relief will, be given to ease the present cutlgestiofi; TO ffiy mind the only sensible tlilhg td do to achieve this is to build now a hospital in the Hutt Valley. Bf. Watt further stated, ‘lt appears the time is approaching when a separate Uospillll should be provided ih the Hhtt Valley and also, Tt is agreed l that with ‘the present rate of development in the Hutt Valley it will not be many years before the erectioii of a gbiiefhl HffiSpl-' tai at Dower Hutt CutllU be justified: having regard to (economy of management, availability bf ptUfelsSioiffii pef-

sonnel and convenience of the public.’ ’"riiesl! sliltenifiiils stlffih to ilffi ample jiislilffiiltlOU fpf thb eWtlon UUiV of a hdsjlitiil ih this llutt Viilley Without waiting fbl* Hid passing ol’ a ,fbW more Jedi’S; Dl’: AVatt further stilled, with refeieftbe td it hospital in Hie lliitt Valley 1 ‘if, aS Wodlti Hi! exjieeted: plovision should be ffiilde tor fitiurb requueliffiiits—ah important consideration in view of the increasing population of the Hutt Valley—a hospital of not less than 120 beds, excluding accommodation for maternity cases, would not be unreasonable.’ Ilbiief ffbiii Congestion; “it is apparent that the tiine required to construct a hospital of 120 beds ill Hie Hutt Valley iVolild not be ileiirly (is long its that feiiliii'bd to uofi’ stfue.t the proposed iffiW iibspitiii ih Wellington. If the llUStiltdl ill till* Hutt Valley was available it could take 120 patients from the Wellington Hospital and material relief fi-biii L-UngeS-tion Wbuld bb givdii. > "I am not, of course, suggesting that city patients should be taken to the Hutt Hospital; but based on the figures sujllllied Uy t»f: K. A. Shore in his report to tlffi meeting there does not seem much doubt that there would be sufficient: piltieiits fi-Util the Hilti Viii lei’ to tiUt'uily fliliy tile llutt Uospillll “The point*ie flint iHO piitioiiffi woiiiij be tiikeli fl’bm the WeiliilgtUh Hffispll.il 1 lit il liiUtdl elll-lleE tlille tliilii cilii possibly be done by the erection of the proposed new hospital in the city, liiitj these patients wutiid be treated in a iitsyital tiu'if br. Wutt atiiiiiis will shortly requite to be built.

“It is not suggested that the erection of a Hutt Valley hospittrl will solve till the difiieuities that exist,«-ith.fe--gi'ird to the present iVeilhigtOii Hqffi pitai. blit it is suggested tluif it will provide a; comparlitiVUly Slleedy relief to the congestion tiiefU ilhd give tub auliioi-ities more opportunity to Hen! with Hie position; It is obvious that there tire divhfgettt views up Jo Hie loeiitipti of n new iiospitiil ih Wellington itiid nisti as to fiiethod ano cost of tiOiistfUUtibii; ‘‘jfiiffiiUfiiiufe; the unufinous oust of a proposed new hospital for Weliitigton oitv and the t-btisetjtihiit iiit-reased eliiifge on the ratepayers brings id the forefrofit the (natter niefitione’a at the meeting ii.v the mayor of Woilihgtou: namely, tiie iiieideiiue of hospital ta.w tifih: -I doift propose to refer to any of these miittefs here: but it is blear that.they are stiuh as.fepuire earefui eotisideriltibh. I submit that the suggestion I liitve made for the erection, iiOW; tlf a Mutt Valley hospital will afford the opportunity for that eunsiiierntioii besides grunting the relief from etffigbFitifih ihdieated above. “I tVOliid Strongly emphasise the fact that the Government medical authorities admit that a Hutt Valley hospital will shortly’ Have to be erected. Why not build it now when the aeeouiuiodip tibn it Would provide Would be most appreciated ?*’