CENTENARY BLOCK

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 6, 7 July 1938, Page 10

CENTENARY BLOCK

APPROVAL OF SITE

ESTIMATE OF £496,380

The report deals with the proposal to erect a separate five-storey hospital block (the Centenary Block) on the hospital grounds to the north of and adjacent to the present main hospital, and gives the Commission's approval of the proposed site. The block would contain 356 beds, and the services provided would be sufficient, for 500 beds. The new hospital would be used as far as possible for acute cases only, sub-acute and chronic cases to be accommodated and treated in the present buildings! The preliminary drawings only have so far been prepared. It is proposed to house the whole of the administrative staff in this block and; to provide facilities for all admissions to the general hospital. "When considering these drawings it seemed to us that whilst paying due regard to ecoiibmy in building and maintenance^ r primary consideration should be given to providing adequate accommodation and services for the patients," the report states. "It seemed to us, too, that due regard should be given to the desire of the inhabitants in and about the Hutt Valley to have, as soon as possible, more easily accessible hospital facilities. "The present block containing the administrative,1 outpatients', admission, and casualty departments was erected in 1926. We are of the opinion that these departments should not, for the time being, be incorporated in the new hospital and that the erection of block D of the hospital should be deferred. ADMISSION OF PATIENTS. "Objections have been raised that it is inadvisable to leave the admission and casualty departments in the present building. We have considered this matter from every aspect, and we find, whereas it would be wise to haye these departments in the new block of buildings when it is completed—that is, when it constitutes a completed unit of 500 beds—it would not be advisable to do so at present when the new block will have 293 patients only. The greater number of patients will still be admitted to the present hospital, which, apart from the chronic hospital, will have a bed accommodation of over 400 when the new temporary wards are built. "The casualty department is up to date, is a well-run unit, and fulfils its purposes admirably." The Commission states that the six operating theatres and services shown in the sketch plan could be reduced, to four, and if the erection of the fourth proposed wing of the new building were deferred, according to the board's Wellington architect's estimate, approximately 293 beds would be provided and the cost would be £496,380. The estimated saving on the original estimate would be £78,959. "The internal lay-out as set out in the preliminary drawings of the proposed new hospital has not yet been fully approved of by the officers of the Department of Health," the report adds. "It is possible that when the plans are finally agreed on the estimated cost will be varied. We recommend* therefore that the Hospital Board's proposals with respect to the new Centenary Hospital be modified to the extent that for the time being blocks A, B, and C only as modified by us be erected at an estimated cost of £496,380."