INVALIDED SOLDIERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15950, 22 June 1915, Page 8

INVALIDED SOLDIERS.

260 ON WILLOCHRA.

HOSPITAL ARRANGEMENTS.

100 BEDS PREPARED.

BAKiSTOW CONVALESCENT HOME*

A special meeting of the Auckland Hospital Board was held yesterday to further consider the question of providing accommodation for wounded soldiers returning to tho Dominion.

The chairman, Mr. M. J. Coyle, stated that at a meeting of the board, held last week, it was decided to ask tho Government to state what was expected from the local hospital authorities in tho way of providing accommodation, so that the work might be put in hand at onco. A letter had been received from the Inspec-tor-General of Hospitals, Dr. T. H. A. Valintine, stating that the Department looked to the hospitals to provide beds for the sick and wounded as might be required. At this juncturo it was impossible to state the actual number that would be wanted, but the Department would be in a position to inform the board in plenty of time for it to provide the necessary accommodation. On the arrival of a transport with sick and wounded, those invalided soldiers who were not in a fit condition to stand travelling would be accommodated in the hospital nearest the port of disembarkation. Those able to travel, but who nevertheless required some form of medical attention, would be forwarded to hospitals in their own districts, or, if sufficiently ill to need actual hospital treatment, arrangements would he made for them to receive medical treatment at their own homes. It was hoped, that by the time the transports arrived with tho sick and wounded a very largo proportion of those on board would require little or no medical treatment. At the samo time hospitals must bo prepared to accommodate t fair proportion. Convalescent Homes.

The Department hoped that there would be sufficient accommodation in the general hospitals to provide for the sick and wounded without the Department going to the expense of supplying special accommodation. Full use would be made of the convalescent homes so generously offered for the reception of invalid soldiers. He hoped that many of those who had offered houses for convalescent purposes would attach few, if any, conditions to the offer, so that the boards would be entitled to use them for either sick and wounded or for overflow purposes. It might be possible to remove the moro chronic cases from the hospitals to these homes, and thus leave plenty of room available for the sick and wounded who require special hospital treatment. The board was, doubtless, aware that in addition to those convalescent homes, whose proprietors had offered beds for convalescents, tho trustees of Knox Homo had also offered accommodation for not less than ?0 sick and wounded.

The letter continued that the Willochra. left Egypt on June 6, with 260 sick ana wounded men on board. As far as he could judge some 22 of that number bolonged to the Auckland district. Full Sarticulars with regard to the accommoation would be sent to the board as soon as definite information was received by wireless as to the number of beds that would be required in the hospital, or in the convalescent homes available. The Government, if the boards so desired, was prepared to pay a maintenance fee for sick soldiers accommodated in the public hospitals of tho Dominion. Situation Easily Met. The chairman said that since he had received this letter from the InspectorGeneral of Hospitals, he had communicated with the medical superintendent of the hospital; also the matron and the chairman of the honorary staff, and now that it was known that the board was expected to provide the accommodation there would not be the slightest difficulty in meeting requirements. It had provided 100 beds at the hospital without difficulty—he meant oy that that it had had to make certain arrangements. At tho present time the hospital was fairly full and had been so for some time past. Dr. A. W. Grant, the acting-medical superintendent, had reported that accommodation could be provided for extra beds in certain portions of the hospital, and some of the patients could be removed to their homes with very little harm. If the Willochra arrived to-morrow there would be no difficulty in finding accommodation for 100 soldiers, and as the letter stated there were only 22 men belonging to Auckland, the situation would be more than met. But they must expect a " profession" of steamers. Owing to three of the junior doctors leaving, some temporary anxiety was felt, but one or two other medical men had undertaken to administer anaesthetics in the operating theatre, and the chairman of the honorary , medical staff, Dr. Carrick Robertson, had intimated that the doctors on the honorary staff would do all in their power to make the medical arrangements adequate. Tho matron had informed him there would be no difficulty with regard to nurses. ' The chairman suggested ,that the board should reply to the Inspector-General to the effect that 100 beta were ready at the hospital, and that 26 at the Sailors' Home, and 20 at the Knox Homo were offered for convalescents. The board would shortly have the Barstow Homo at Epsom equipped, and this would provide accommodation for 40 convalescents. The board adopted the chairman's suggestion, and decided to prepare Barstow House as a convalescent home immediately. The chairman esg'ained that the cost •would probafify 6e £200. \ "WILL WORK AS ONE." i CIVIL AND MILITARY AUTHORITIES. 1 Intimation that tho arrangements for the accommodation of sick and wounded soldiers returning from Egypt will be under joint civil and military control has been conveyed to the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, in a telegram received yesterday from the Minister for Defence, the Hon. J. Allan. Recently the Mayor conferred with tho chairman of the Auckland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, Mr. M. J. Coyle, on this subject, and a request was made to the Minister for information on this point for the guidance of the Hospital Board and the committee controlling the funds subscribed by the public. The telegram was as follows :— Civil and military authorities have now been recognised, and will work as one. All returned sick _ and wounded necessary to accommodate in hospitals an'd convalescent homes will be under the control of tho Chief Health Officer, who will arrange with hospital boards concerned. The Chief Health Officer will gladly consider offers from citizens regarding equipping any convalescent _ homes he may require in the various districts."

CONFERENCE OP MAYORS. ORGANISATION OF FUNDS. [by telegraph.—press association.] Wellington, Monday. The Mayor of Wellington is convening a conference of Mayors of all towns in New Zealand, and chairmen of patriotic committees, for Friday, July 2, to determine if there shall be one national war relief fund or several provincial funds.