PUKEROA SANATORIUM.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1680, 20 November 1919, Page 6

PUKEROA SANATORIUM.

(Peii Pbkbs Association.) WELLINGTON. Nov. 30. A report lias boon received by the Defence Minister from Biigadier-Gcncrul MeGavin on the complaints made by the H.^.A.-regarding (lib military sanatorium it Pukcroa. The statement that the sana I'orium ..cost £60,000. is, says BrigadierGeneral McOaviu. a' gross exaggeration. I’hc total cost, inelntUng.tlie shelters, land, machinery, electrical lighting and laundry, will ho £35.367, The personnel of the. attendants is comprised chiefly of letnrned soldiers, Many of' these have proved mi-., satisfactory and’ have been 'discharged, more suitable , men being enlisted as they become available. The female staff will be increased. The institution was quite ready in ill osesiitials before the patients were placed therein. The patients with only two exceptions are hanpy aitij contented. All except one stated that they had no complaint to make. The one stated lie disliked boiled mutton, hut admitted alternative dishes wore provided, A still wider field of, selection has been arranged for. Notices arc posted in the sanatorium that any patient having a complaint to make will do so to the officer in charge, who asserts that ho hud not heard of many of the complaints before reading the reports in the papers. The method adopted bv the patients of reporting through it complaints committee to the Returned Soldiers’ Association is not only devious, cumbrous an.d wasteful of time, but causes quite unnecessary annoyance and discontent to the stall, rendering the smooth working of the institution difficult.