THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1938 A NEW HOSPITAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23203, 24 November 1938, Page 12

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1938 A NEW HOSPITAL

A decision to "proceed forthwith" with the erection of a main base hospital of 750 beds on the present site was reached by the Hospital Board last night after hearing a broad outline of the rebuilding programme that its chairman, Mr. Allan Moody, found to be necessary. Such a decision is a triumph for the positive lead given by Mr. Moody. He has sought to look ahead for 50 years and plan for "the erection of a hospital which will stand as a monument of usefulness and service," his completed scheme involving an expenditure of £1,500,000. That is a very large sum, but not all of it will have to be found at once, and in any case far larger amounts are being spent in New Zealand to-day on objects that oannot be accounted so worthy or so beneficent. The proper care of the sick and the maimed has first claim on the heart and purse of the people, a claim all freely acknowledge. To discharge it Auckland should possess a good hospital. That is a modest prescription but it has yet to be filled. What Mr. Moody has to say in condemnation of the existing institution is not new, although his graphic simile of the "old tramp steamer," coupled with a warm tribute to the crew who make the most of their clumsy craft, is arresting. The hospital is always overcrowded and short of beds, much of the accommodation is primitive and much of the equipment lags behind modern standards, and the whole is badly planned for the comfort of patients and efficient organisation and administration. Perhaps the very magnitude of the tasks facing them has daunted previous boards, accounting for their nervelessness and inaction. At last, however, a bold lead has been given by Mr. Moody and accepted out of hand by the board. • At the present stage it is not necessary to scrutinise closely the items of Mr. Moody's programme, although it should be noted that the chairman has studied the broad problem carefully and has called into conference the authorities of the Health Department. He wants to end the muddle and shortsightedness that have given the community such poor, value and qualified - results in. the past. The immediate objective is therefore to ' work? out a well-co-ordinated longrange plan of requirements that will finally "give full service with efficiency. By its decision last night the board has already answered some of the of policy by which the professional planners must be directed. The present site has usually been accepted as ideal for aspect and position and the board has decided to raise the new building there. Mr. Moody discussed the advisability of enlarging it, but the existing area should prove adequate for all purposes. Difficulties of administration set a limit and this surely will be reached when a main unit of 750 beds is erected, flanked by supplementary departments carrying another 250 to 300 beds. Centralisation brings drawbacks as well as conferring advantages. A problem of the same kind is the range of the base unit, Mr. Moody apparently favouring the concentration of several branches of hospital service on the present site. These are matters that could be further canvassed by the board without in any way prejudicing its main drive. No differences should arise on Mr. Moody's proposal that the best architectural brains should be employed to work out the new policy. He asked for expert service and the board agreed to engage it in conjunction with its own architect. The local practitioner is to be reinforced by the specialist if suitable arrangements can be made and, as the key to success lies here, no personal obstacle should be allowed to obstruct progress. The architects should as soon as possible be informed of needs and relative urgency and be directed to plan so that the working out of the scheme will not impede the continued functioning of the hospital and so that the rebuilding can be undertaken in instalments according as circumstances and means may dictate. Mr. Moody gives no indication of the time over which he would wish the scheme spread, although he does indicate the order of priority he favours for certain items. No doubt the financial aspect will have an important bearing and it is here that the board finds itself, faced by an unknown factor in the assistance it can expect from the Government. The social security scheme will undoubtedly enlarge the demands foT hospital service, and these also require to be estimated as far as they can be in advance of experience. Clearly it would be of great assistance to the board at the present stage if the Government would issue a firm statement on the contributions it intends to make toward the discharge of the added responsibilities —what proportions it will undertake of capital expenditure and of subsequent maintenance. The board is well aware that property is already heavily charged through the rates for hospital levies and that there are limits to this resource. The Government's policy will create new needs and the onus rests on it to give substantial assistance in meeting them. The board is taking the initiative by setting up a special committee to meet the Minister of Health and discuss the Government's intentions with him. Mr. Fraser can forward the whole scheme and assist in the better fulfilment of his section of the Bocial security pledges by proving that the Government is as ready ag the board to do ita part. ;