TE KUITI HOSPITAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18890, 12 December 1924, Page 13

TE KUITI HOSPITAL.

DISTRICT URGENT.

BUILDING TO BE ERECTED.

ESTIMATED COST, £18,000.

[BY XELEGRArH,—OHM COKRESrOXDENT. ] HAMILTON. Thursday.

Considerable discussion arose at the meeting of the Waikato Hospital Board to-day when the question of frecting a hospital at Te Kuiti was brought up. The residents of the district in and around Te Kuiti .some time'ago r ? : S ed a large sum for the purpose of building a cottage hospital. Plans were prepared and submitted to the Health Department but were returned with the suggestion that certain modifications should be made. An alternative plan was submitted and for some, months nothing was heard of it. On inquiry being made the board was informed that it had been placed in the, hands of Dr. Jedlett, who was an expert on maternity buildings. The board urged the department to come to a decision and at today's meeting was informed that the plan had been sent back, together with particulars of certain amendments necessary, the estimated cost, of the building being now over £18.000.

The board's architect, Mr. J. W. WarI ren, reported that he had examined the amended plan submitted by the department and found that uo provision had ! been made for the treatment of out i patients without bringing them into the i waiting hall of the main entrance, and j there being no accommodation provided I for the medical superintendent, the only place in which outpatients could be dealt with was the operating room, a j system which could never work out in practice. The access to fbe operating room was directly off the main corridor and there was no anaesthetic room or Ktirgeons' changing room. He considered the combination of a general office and matron's sitting room in » space of 12ft. by 12ft., to be a. mistake and imprac- ! ticable. On the whole he was of opinion I that the amended plan would not give J satisfaction to tjiose concerned in the administration of the hospital. As to the saving in cost the reduction was estimated by the architect to be £2700 os against the department's estimate of £3250.. The Health Department might have good reasons for its alternative suggestions, with which he was unacquainted, but he could only report on the plan as it presented itself to him. He submitted a further alternative plan which remedied the defects mentioned in his report and which was estimated to cost less than the building proposed by the department.

Mr. A. Blackmail, member of the board for To Kuiti, moved that the hospital be built according to the plan returnod by the department, at a cost not exceeding £18,000. He pointed out that there had already been too much delay and that as it appeared that all work undertaken by the board cost considerably more than was at first intended, it would be better to get the work done before any more elaborate and costly plans could* be made. He thought the question of raising the extra £3000 could be dealt with by the House and Finance Committee. The necessity for a hospital at Te Kuiti was becoming more and more urgent as time went on. Poor people could not afford to travel from distant parts of the district to the Hamilton Hospital for treatment.

Most of the members agreed with Mr. Blackman that the needs of To Kuiti were becoming urgent. The motion was carried, the matter of finding the money being left in the hands of the House and Finance Committee.