MENTAL HOSPITALS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 149, 27 June 1930, Page 11

MENTAL HOSPITALS

ACCOMMODATION QUESTION

"BiPOSSIBLE TO RETRENCH"

Tlio question of mental hospitals accommodation was raised in. the House of Bepresontatives yesterday by Mr. P. Frascr (Labour, Wellington Central), in a question ho is putting to the' Minister of Health

Mr. Fraser gave notice to ask the Minister whether it is a fact that several hundreds of patients in the mental hospitals of tho Dominion arc not sup; pliod with the necessary beds, but .have to bo accommodated >vith make-shift shakedowns; whether the Minister and the. Government, have done anything during the past year to: rectify this rogrettable state of affairs; Whether the Minister proposes to take immediate and effective steps to provide suitable and sufficient sleeping accommodation for the patients; and whether, the Minister will resist any attempts to retrench at. tho exponse of the unfortunate inmates. ..■■■>

Discussing tho subject with a "Post" reporter to-day, Mr. Fraser said his object in putting the question was to draw pointed attention to the fact that it was quite impossible to rotrench in regard to tho v requirements of mental hospitals. The cause of tho shortage of equipment was entirely duo to over-crowding, and more buildings were urgently required. Mr. Fraser said that far-reaching improvements to mental hospitals had been instituted in recent years, and the standard of comfort and csiro was never lughcr. In fact, it reflected great credit upon those in charge and the staffs of the various institutions, for they were doing their best in very difficult circumstances. Far from retrenchment being practised in tho hospitals, the necessity was for an extension of build-