ISOLATION SECTION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 163, 26 June 1935, Page 6

ISOLATION SECTION

NAPIER HOSPITAL BLOCK Minister Recognises Urgency DR. WATT TO PAY VISIT After Dr. J. J. Foley, medical superintendent of the Napier Hospital, had pointed out the gravity of the situation if an epidemic should break out, the Minister of Health, Sir Alexander Young, promised the Hawke’s Bay Hospital Board yesterday afternoon that he would have Dr. M. H. Watt, Direc-tor-General of Health, come to Napier to discuss with the board the best site for an isolation section at the Napier Public Hospital. Plans would then be finished and possibly the board could anticipate a subsidy on the estimates next year. The chairman of the board, Mr O. O. Morse, said it was the opinion of the board that in the last few months it had not received full eo-operation from the Department of Health, so that not much progress was made with the subject of isolation. The board had not been faced with an epidemic, but if it were, the department and the board would be confronted with some serious questions. For some time past estimates had been held up because the department had requested the board not to place on the estimates any provision for isolation this year. He asked the Minister to see that provision was made on these estimates this year, for the question of isolation was vital. LACK OF CO-OPERATION. Dr. H. M. Wilson also alleged a lack of co-operation on the part of the department. He urged that Dr. Watt should come to Napiei to help the board decide which was the best site for the isolation section of the Napier Public Hospital. There had been far too much time wasted. The Minister said that if it rested solely with him, this question would be decided before he left the room. But the Treasury had something to say, too, and he was forced to cut his coat with the cloth he had. He did not consider the department had been entirely to blame. Dr. Wilson said that if the DirectorGeneral of Health would come to Napier, he could do a lot of good, for the present circumstances of isolation at the Napier Hospital were an absolute disgrace, and a danger to the public. The department had suggested that in case of emergency, patients could be sent to Waipukurau, but this was not desirable, especially in the case ot poor people. Mr. H. M. Campbell, M.P. for Hawke's Bay, also passed strong comments upon the present system of isolation. Mr C. Duff concurred with what had been said, and added that it was ridicu. lons to think that in a province of 48,000 people facilities for the isolation of infectious cases was not restored. POSITION NOT UNDER-STATED. Mr J. B. Campbell and Mr R. Harding, two representatives of the County Council, agreed that in everything which had been said there was no under-statement. Mr. Harding said he was shocked when he saw the isolation section at the Napier Public Hospital, and he could not understand why the Department of Health bad not forced the position long ago. He considered the work should begin immediately. Mr C. Lassen said that perhaps the delav was not altogether the fault of the department. He considered that a great deal of good would come ot Dr. Watt’s visit to Napier, to consult

with the board as to the best of the two available sites.

Dr. Foley gave the Minister a number of instances to show the gravity of the position should an outbreak ol some infectious disease occur.

In reply, the Minister said he understood that on March 25 the Departnient of Health wrote to the Hospital Board asking whether it had decided upon a site, but so far as he could ascertain no reply was received, and they awaited a reply before taking any further steps. No doubt there were reasons for this silence. Having agreed upon a certain course, the next step was one of finance, and the Treasury had allowed him only a certain sum to cover the needs of the whole Dominion. Possibly the board would be prepared to spend the £5OO it had m hand and anticipate the estimates of 1936.’ He would ask Dr. Watt to come to Napier to confer with the board’s representatives upon the question of the best site. He would expedite their plans in every possible way. Mr Morse thanked the Minister, and the deputation withdrew.