MINISTER OF HEALTH

Evening Star, Issue 19772, 24 January 1928, Page 6

MINISTER OF HEALTH

HIS VISIT TO OTAGO TO SEE MENTAL INSTITUTIONS The Hon. J. A. Young, Minister of Health and in charge of the Mental Hospitals, arrived in Dunedin on Saturday, stayed at the Grand Hotel, and went off this morning by the 11.34 train, bound for Wellington. He spent his time here_ in visiting the several mental institutions in this district that are under the control of his department—the main hospital at Seacliff, the section of the hospital at Waitati, and the several properties belonging to the department, including the Cherry Farm Estate at Waikouaiti. At Cherry Farm an area of 200 acres is being cultivated and farmed by the department this year, it being essential to have quantities of produce for the use of the several institutions. A magnificent crop of potatoes is being gathered now, and there is a splendid yield of grass for cutting into hay. The experiments with ensilage, new to the district, are turning out eminently successful, a large stack being already prepared. What is being done in that way. should be of great value to this and other grass districts that are to a large extent overrun with Canadian thistle, for this weed is being turned to profitable account in the making of ensilage. This feed will be of great use for "the department’s live stock. At Waitati alone there are over 10U head of cattle kept for the supply of meat and milk. The surplus milk is sold to the local cheese factory. The requirements of the department are for about six bullocks and forty sheep per week, there being 1,192 patients in the institutions, 978 at Seacliff and 214 at Waitati. , , Mr Young said that when ho took over charge of the department and made his first visit in 1926 he found, particularly at Seacliff, calls for spending a considerable amount of money to effect necessary improvements for the patients and the staff, for the efficient working of the institutions, and for the storage of property. During the past year important improvements have been carried out in regard to the accommodation of the working and artisan staff, the farm buildings general y, and the housing of the and much more remains to be done in order to enable the working of the institutions to be carried out more economically and efficiently, and in the interests of the inmatCvS. . , .. , A new departure is the erection of a neuropathic hospital or villa at Pnketeraki. This building is just about finished. It is for females only, and will accommodate ten. The expected average is seven or eight. This villa is created in accordance with the now policy of providing special treatment for sensitive and possibly-curable patients. The villa will have nothing of the institutional character about it. It is to be conducted like a private home, giving service comparable to that of any private guest house in the country, and only specially-classified patients are to be admitted. Before going away tins morning the Minister had a conference with officials of the Plunket Society.