TO BE CLOSED

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 109, 21 April 1933, Page 7

TO BE CLOSED

ROTORUA HOSPITAL. “COSTLY AND UNSUITABLE.” HAMILTON, April 20. The intention of the Health Department to close King George V. Hospital, Rotorua, was intimated in a communication from Dr. Watt, Director-General of Health, received at a special meeting of the Waikato Hospital Board to-day. The Department asked the board to assume full responsibility ior hospital facilities in the Rotorua district. Dr. Watt said the present extensive grounds surrounding King George Hospital and the large number of buildings erected when the institution functioned as a special orthopaedic hospital, made it costly to maintain and unsuitable as a district hospital. It was suggested that owing to this factor, coupled with the difficult of giving the board a title to the land, a smaller hospital should be established on another site. He was prepared to recommend the Government to meet part or all of the capital eost involved, either by handing over to the board free of cost a fully equipped hospital of 30 to 40 beds, or by making a grant not exceeding £25.000. with the gift of the necessary buildings and equipment. In the event of the Department establishing a hospital it was planned to re-' model and add to the existing institutions as nn isolation hospital. Members considered the matter needed full discussion, owing to the uncertainty of the extent of financial assistance from the Government. The matter was deferred till the next general meeting.