DISHEARTENING POSITION

Evening Star, Issue 21725, 21 May 1934, Page 8

DISHEARTENING POSITION

THE PROPOSED OBSTETRIC HOSPITAL CHAIRMAN OPPOSES GOVERNMENT OFFER “The position now reached is most disheartening and unsatisfactory for those who liave worked so hard towards the attaining of the new Obstetric Hospital,” said the chairman of the Otago Hospital Board (Mr W. E. S. Knight) this morning, when asked to comment on the latest communication from the Minister of Health, which stated that the proposals recently put forward by the board in connection with tho erection of a new obstetric hospital at Dunedin had not been favourably received by the Government. The Minister’s letter also stated that if a decision was not reached within ’three months on the alternative offers made by tho Government St. Helen’s Hospital would be closed. “ There are no new facts in the board’s case to be published,” said Mr Knight, “ bub the board meets on Thursday, and the whole position will bo reviewed. - “The Government’s latest offer is nothing but a threat,” declared Mr Knight, “a threat that St. Helen’s will be closed in three months we agree to the proposals.” The Chairman said that he had very grave doubts as to whether tho board would agree to tho proposals submitted by the Minister, and the position that would then arise was terrible to contemplate. As far as he was concerned personally he would never agree to such proposals as those put forward by tho Government. The Hospital Board bad told the Government that it would accept £20,000 and the St. Helen’s property, and that final .offer had now been rejected by the Government, whose final offer was £IO,OOO. “ I would like to point out for the fiftieth time that a definite offer was made by the Government of £50,000 for the purpose of purchasing land, the erection of buildings, and the provision of equipment for the obstetric hospital in Dunedin,” »said Mr Knight, “ and, further, that the department agreed to provide £2,000 a year for five years towards the cost of maintenance of the hospital, subject to review at the end of that period.” The present position, Mr Knight commented, was that the Government was offering a grant of £IO,OOO and a subsidy on levies at £ for £ of £4,750, a total of £14,750, as against the original offer of £50,000. He would lot the figures speak for themselves.