WHAT IS LACKING

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 100, 30 April 1938, Page 7

WHAT IS LACKING

HOSPITAL NEEDS

The Slate should undertake the future capital cost of all additions to public hospitals, said Dr. L. G. Austin last night, as had been done in Australia and Tasmania. Scddon's Government provided the St. Helens hospitals-, and the present Government was building a new dental clinic. The Government could easily do as he suggested, as it had created £11,500,000 of new money to implement its works and building policy. The incidence of tuberculosis amongst the staff of the Wellington Hospital foreshadowed the immediate need for modern stafl quarters and improvement of diet. In Australia great attention was paid to the liberal feeding of the nursing staffs. At the Sydney Hospital cream was provided daily, and every menu gave the choice of three dishes. There was a liberal supply of eggs, bacon, various jams, jellies, and fish, etc., daily, with the result that the incidepce of tuberculosis was very low. Overcrowding would be best dealt with by the decentralisation of the Wellington Hospital, and not by smothering up the grounds by further buildings. A 250-bed base hospital, and not a subsidiary one, was what was wanted in the ,Hutt Valley. A new children's hospital was wanted on a new site, a nose, ear, and eye hospital in Abel Smith Street, and a convalescent home to. relieve the overcrowded wards of the convalescent patients. A new surgical block was needed at the Wellington Hospital for about 150 beds, and the total capacity of the main hospital kept to 500 beds for acute sickness only.

"Every suburb should have its own maternity block," said Dr. Austin, "and the requirements of the coming health scheme should be provided for. The management-of the Wellington Hospital, with an expenditure of over£l,ooo,ooo yearly, needs the services of a proper managing secretary who knows New Zealand conditions."