URGENT CASES ONLY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 49, 27 February 1942, Page 7

URGENT CASES ONLY

BEDS AT HOSPITAL

An effort was being made to limit the number of beds in use at the Wellington Hospital, said the Medical Superintendent,. Dr. John Cairney at a .meeting of the Hospital Board last night. There had been a reduction of operations, from 1189 in January, 1941. to 440 in January last. The effort to limit the number of beds was being made with the full approval of the board's emergency committee, so that there might be available a number of emergency beds which would, in the event of a state of emergency in the city, take the first group of casualties for admission.

It w,as not felt that they were justified in filling up the hospital to its full level, or to have it crowded to its limit; It was felt that a reduction of the number of patients was necessary for the protection of the patients themselves, as the buildings were just as vulnerable as any of a similar date of consti-uction. and it was felt that the fewer the patients the fewer people who might be in serious danger. Patients would not be admitted unless< they were urgent cases. An endeavour was being made to get a certain number of patients who were in the buildings back to ■their homes.

A number of people in the Hutt Valley were complaining that they could, not get admission for minor operations, said Mr. J. Purvis. Some of the women were said to be in a bad state. Could not some arrangement be made to send them to inland towns? Some had been waiting 18 months. There were apparently plenty of beds for minor operations in " Palmerston North. Wanganui. and Masterton.

The chairman, Mr. F. Castle, said that that point could be looked into. There should be beds available in inland towns.