PALMERSTON NORTH

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 9900, 20 February 1918, Page 6

PALMERSTON NORTH

HOSPITAL EXTENSION DEPUTATION TO THE HEALTH MINISTER. The Minister for Public Health (the Hon. G. W. Russell) was waited on yesterday morning by a deputation from tho Manawatu Hospital Board. Tho deputation, which consisted of Sir J. G. Wilson (chairman of tho board), Air Nash (Mayor of Palmerston North) and Mr Hornblow, submitted to tho Minister proposals for 'borrowing a considerable sum of money for tho extension of the Palmerston Noxtn Hospital. PROPOSALS AGREED TO. After full consideration the Minister agreed to tho following proposals for tho first year:—Tho erection cf a now ward to provide 40 beds at a cost of £I2,(XX); a now kitchen block, to accommodate tiro domestic staff, £8000; the establishment of a maternity homo in Palmerston. North, £5000; the purchase of land to ho added to tho present properties, £2600; laundry, £3000; miscellaneous works, £4OO : doctors’ residence, £SOO. For tiro second yearadditions to tho nurses’ homo, £8000; and for tho third year, if considered necessary, the establishment cf another ward to provide 40 more beds, £12,000. . ' Tho necessity for the extension, said the Minister, “has become marked of late, and will he accontuntd by the fact that the Horowhonua district is about to be added to Manawatu Hospital district. As this will bring in a population of between 8000 and 9000, the total population of the hospital district will t-hen be 43,000-

THE DR MARTIN MEMORIAL. The deputation also • discussed with the Minister several matters with regard to tho memorial to bo erected to the late Dr Martin, for whom tho sum of £2OOO has been collected. Mr Russell declined to admit that this expenditure was urgent at tho present .tilno, and suggested that tho money should be placed out at interest until,the war was over, when h© would be prepared >to pay half the cost, up to, £ISOO, of, the building required for the memorial. Tho intention was that this building should be devoted to X-ray treatment, and other scientific branches of therapeutics. The question of an electrical supply for lighting the institution and providing for electrical treatment was considered, and tho Minister promised to pay half the cost up to £IOOO. , 1 - CHILDREN'S TEETH.

The deputation also 'brought before the Minister the question of the dental treatment of children’s teoth. Mr Russell stated that he had promised already a subsidy for the work of a dental clinic in . Palmerston North for ono year. He suggested that the clinic bo established within the town, not nt the hospital- The board, he said, would ho required to provide the equipment, and tho subsidy from the Government would be for maintenance only The total subsidy given to tho board for tho year for dental purposes would bo £200; and tho Minister suggested'to tho board that any balance left over after providing for tho work of tho hospital clinic should be devoted to dental work in other centres of the district, on condition that tho work should bo done by local dentists and that a fixed foe he given for each case, such feo not to exceed 4s and that only children of parents receiving not more than £4 a week should be entitled to the benefits of the treatment, and this only on the certificate of a medical inspector of schools or a headmaster. The Minister said that this was a now departure for the dental treatment of school children in country districts. PROPOSED MATERNITY HOME. In regard to tho establishment of the proposed maternity homo, tho Minister said that ho was not in favour of the erection of a building under tho board’s proposal at a cost of £8000; but he considered that it would be far better that, if possible, a suitable building should bo purchased and used as a maternity home. The deputation stated that they believed that such a property would be available at a reasonable price, and the Minister therefore suggested that the board should get into communication with the owners of the property in question and communicate with him further. He said that he desired the establishment of a strong maternity home at Palmerston, not only for the purpose of reducing the cost of childbirth, but in order that it might bo mads a training school for maternity nurses for the Wost Coast district.