NEW HOSPITAL SITE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20519, 21 March 1930, Page 14

NEW HOSPITAL SITE.

DIFFERENCES OF OPINION.

MINISTER IN THE . NORTH,

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] KAIKOHE. Thursday.

Hospital matters were considered by the Minister of Health, the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, on his %'isit to the Bay of Islands district. There is a division of opinion in the area as to whether the new hospital should' be built at Kawakawa or not. The Director-General of Health, Dr. T. H. A. Valintine, has already reported in favour of Kawakawa as the hospital centre, but he has condemned the present building as out of date and inefficient. Sir. Stallworthy inspected, the hospital this week and endorsed Djr.' Valintine's view that'it should be reconstructed. At Kaikohe the Minister met several deputations, which urged that a careful inquiry be made into the medical needs of the district, and maintained that the best sito for a permanent hospital was either at Ohaeawai or Waimate North. It was stated that Kaikohe was dependent for medical service on the Hokianga Hospital Board, the only doctor being the medical superintendent of the hospital at Bawene, who visited Kaikohe twice weekly. Although Kaikohe contributed some £l5O in rates to the Bay of Islands Board, most hospital patients went to Rawene, a practice .which was objected to by the Hokianga Board. _ The Minister promised his careful consideration of all tho statements placed before him, but pointed out that owing to the rapid advance in medical science it might be necessary in the future to estab* lish a base hospital for the whole of the North. This would affect tho question of site.

The Minister later left for Rawene, where he inspected the hospital and held a conference with the Hokianga Hospital Board..