AGREED TO

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 83, 20 March 1928, Page 7

AGREED TO

CR. CALLAGHAN’S MOTIONS. COVERED-WAY AT NAPIER HOSPITAL “(1) That this council considers the provision of some form of covered-way between the Jellicoe Ward and the operating theatre at the Napier Public Hospital is an absolute necessity. (2) That the representative of the council on the Hospital Board be requested to bring the matter before the board at the first opportunity on behalf of the council. (3) That the council is of the opinion that the ratepayers of Napier will only be too pleaded to pay their share of the small rate which would be necessary to meet the coat, of a tunnel or such other suitable structure as may be decided upon to do away with the present unsatisfactory state of things.” The above resolutions brought before the Napier Borough Council by Or. J. W. Callaghan, were unanimously agreed to last evening. Ci'. Callaghan said that it was a matter which would be dealt with by the Hospital Hoard, but although it had been in th e mind of the medical su|>erinlendeiit lor svnie time it had not reached the stage of being discussed by the members ol the board. While he was a patient at the hospital complaints were constantly being made by patients and visitors of the fact of women patients beimr in full view of other patients and exposed to wind and rain while being transferred from the ward to the operating theatre. He had been told that nothing could be done because of the expense. and that the department would not hear of the scheme. That was why he had brought it before the council as it was the controlling body of the town with which the hospital Was interwoven. Thev wanted the good name that the hospital had earned to be retained. He bad understood that the department had estimated that the work would cost £4OOO. while Ur. Berry had estimated it at £3OOO. This amount spread over the whole district even as a capital levy would mean but a small rate. In seconding the proposals the Mayor (Mr. J. Vigor Brown) said that it waj a proper matter to bring forward. He thought it a pity that the council should have to draw the attention of the Hospital Board to any mutter. Cr. H. J. Harman agreed with the proposals to a point. He thought it would be easier for the Hospital Board to take into consideration the question of reorganising the facilities it had on hand and thereby do away with the necessity of taking patients out into the open when conveying them from the ward to the opiating theatre Cr. P. F. Higgins said that by agreeing to the motion the council would receive the thanks of the Hosnital Board. Because of the cost the hoard was reluctant to proceed, but this expression would strengthen its hands and eliminate the grave situation that now arose Cr. C. H. Wilkie was of the opinion that the matter should be approached as diplomatically as possible. The councillors were representatives of the Napier ratepayers and as something should be done thev should be willing to bear their portion of the expense. Cr. Callaghan said that he would like to make it clear that he was not finding fault with the present management as he considered that it was a splendidly run institution. His object was to strengthen the hands of the Hospital Board and show that there was a demand for this work being done The motions were then agieed to.