MILITARY HOSPITAL AT TRENTHAM CAMP

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 57, 9 March 1915, Page 8

MILITARY HOSPITAL AT TRENTHAM CAMP

ARE ARRANGEMENTS INADEQUATE? The hospital arrangements at the Trentham Military Camp are the subject of a letter of complaint received from a Petone resident, who, representing residents of that borough who recently raised £10 for a bed for the hospital, visited the camp and was highly dissatisfied with what he saw. Following is the letter : — TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — The residents of Petone desirous of sending a bed to the Trentham Military Hospital successfully raised the sum of £10 for that purpose.' On making enquiries from the military authorities as to the style of bed required, we were advised to get into touch with the Mayoress of Wellington. This we did, and Mrs. Luke kindly gave us full particulars. However, the Petone committee wished to see for themselves what was required in order to send the, bed direct from Petone, and with this purpose in view visited the camp yesterday. Sir, you would not be surprised — you would bo shocked — if you saw what the medical officers have to contend with. They have a marquee capable of holding at a pinch four beds, the mattresses are not worthy of the name, and the least said about the linen the better. The . chief medical officer showed us some " sheets " which were sent up from Wellington — one was about 18 inches wide and about 4 feet long, the other was an exhibition of fancy patchwork. Will you be surprised to learn, sir, that there is not a stick of wood as yet provided with which to erect a suitable hospital? The dispensing marquee has not even a floor to it, and is the home of millions of microbes, there being nothing but dust everywhere. Sir, one cannot condemn too strongly the existing state of affairs. Let us give to all the funds which are at present going the rounds, but let us also remember that " Charity begins at home." After seeing the wretched conditions which exist, we have decided to forward our donations of £10 direct to Major Fyffe. Trusting that something will soon be done to remedy the present shocking state of affairs, — I am, etc., D. ROBERTSON, Hon. Sec. Petone Committee. A representative of The Post visited tho camp yesterday afternoon, and inspected the hospital arrangements. They I , were no better than as described by Mr. Robertson.. The hospital marquee contains four beds of the ordinary hospital type, but the bed linen available did not seem sufficient to supply two sheets to each bed. The mattresses were of a poor type, placed directly on ihe ironwork of the bed, which properly should be covered with canvas. The sample sheets displayed were also poor and meagre, arid the patchwork article was exhibited in all its nakedness. In cold and windy weather the marquee would be far from a pleasant place for any patient to lie up in, and the floor is simply dusty t-erra firma, and nothing else. The dispensary is in a similar marquee, subject to the 6ame disabilities of wind and wet and dust. A few packing case boards are placed on the earth floor, but all the efforts of orderlies cannot keep out the dust which is characteristic of a camp which through a dry summer has been the home of many thousands of men and horses. Enquiries from the medical authorities in camp confirmed the impression of the inadequacy of hospital arrangements. It is not intended to detain any of the more Serious cases of sickness or accident in camp, but what is wanted is a small wooden building simply and cheaply constructed where it is possible to keep out wind and rain and dust and ensure reasonable comfort to patients. There have been fairly numerous cases through the summer of influenza in camp, and it is not considered that the marquee hospital is the best environment for cases where temperatures may be high. There is always a certain amount of risk in sending patients in such a condition to the hospital in the city. Again, there are minor complaints, which may be aggravated by unsuitable conditions, such as seem to prevail in the present hospital arrangements, into something worse. Cases of accidents resulting in compound fractures of limbs, severe cuts, and more serious injuries have occurred, and the medical officers have had to attend to these under circumstances far from favourable — in fact, quite unreasonable One man, for instance, had the tendons on the back of his hand severed by an accident, and the medical man had to do what he could to effect a junction of the ligaments in a dispensary already described, under the flickering light of a lamp swayed by the wind. To send all such cases into town is costly in every way, and, in the best medical opinion, really in the majority of cases unnecessary. The charge for the motor ambulance is £2, and for keeping patients in the City Hospital about £2 2s a week. These unfortunate difficulties could all be surmounted if only there were a small hospital erected, with from ten to fourteen beds, and a dispensary attached. The cost would not be great, and public subscription has apparently already furnished, with the help of a generous donation from Dr. Savage, the necessary funds. Apparently through some difficulty with the Defence authorities, nothing has been done. The position was laid before 'the Minister of Defence (Hon. James Allen) to-day. The Minister said that plans and specifications of a suitable hospital had already been drawn up and submitted to him for approval. They were now awaiting the final recommendation from a board consisting of Dr. Frengley, Mr. R. Campbell (Government Architect), and Major W. H. Morton (City Engineer). The equipment, of the hospital would be in accordance with the plans and designs approved by the Minister of Defence on the recommendation of the Department. . The public would therefore be advised to do nothing with respect to equipment until they had been notified by the Defence Department. THE BASE HOSPITAL. The following letter deals with the same subject : — TO THE EDITOR. .Sir, — The Mayoress, in conjunction with a number of other ladies, for some weeks past has been devoting her best efforts to collecting funds to furnish a number of beds for the projected base hospital at Trentham. The amount collected has been utilised in purchasing the equipment required for twenty beds, and this is now awaiting disposal. In view of above, and of the stated intention of the Government to proceed with the erection of the hospital referred to. it would be interesting to learn the cause of the delay in carrying out the work, as there is no doubt it is urgently required. At the present time, the temporary hospital at Trentham consists of a tent containing six beds only — all occupied— but very badly supplied with actual requirements in the way of sheets, coverings, and other necessaries. I feel assured that the attention of the Honourable Minister for Defence has only to be called to the present position in order to have this very necessary woik at once proceeded with.— l am, etc., CONTRIBUTOR.