OVERCROWDING PROBLEM

Evening Star, Issue 18717, 20 August 1924, Page 10

OVERCROWDING PROBLEM

The admissions to the mental hospitals of the dominion last year, which totalled 442 males and 366 females, were thirty-one fewer than in the previous year; and the discharges numbered 419, or thirty-six more than in "922. There are 5,740 patients under care. The provision for voluntary boarders has been very extensively availed of, 130 persons having taken advantage of this system, while ninetyfour were discharged, only nine having to be placed on the list of ordinary patients. The Inspector-General of Mental Hospitals raises the point of accommodation, showing that there is an all-round shortage of accommodation for 171 men and seventy-one women. This excess, he states, causes inconvenience to all jhe inmates, and the aim should bo to provide a 5 per cent, excess for each class. It is a great satisfaction that the Minister has pushed forward a progressive building programme, providing for 305 males and 126 females. If these works are completed in average time, the resident population may be expected to increase in the interval by 112, in which case there, will be an excess of accommodation for seventy-seven. This will,, leave the position satisfactory in Auckland, Sunnyside, and PoriruaAt Seacliff the modernising work now being carried out by the artis.ii staff will continue, but the main additions next taken in hand will bo at Waitati. Hokitika, by being able to pull down the condemned buildings, will have wiped out its reproach. Nelson will have gone a further step in adapting the mental hospital for mental deficients, and, with the “closed” villa at Stoke, will be able to transfer thither Nelson patients who cannot be trusted in the “open-door” sections. Concurrently the erection of villas will be ijeceeKuy for yvonuju gatients j# tssnar

ferred from Nelson. The site for these has already been selected, and that for Tokanui. It will then he possible to receive direct admissions of both men and women. Further villa accommodation will need to be anticipated. It is shown that tho gross cost per patient was £74 9s; tho average receipts from a patient were £1 3s 2d; and, deducting this and tho payments from farm produce, the net cost per patient is £sl 6s 6d per head. Farming operations showed a profit of £8,935 during tho year.