MATERNITY PROVISION

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 12016, 19 December 1924, Page 5

MATERNITY PROVISION

FSR HUTT VALLEY DEPUTATION URGES PROVISION ON HOSPITAL BOARD, BURDEN ON WORKING PEOPLE. A deputation from Lower Hutt and Petone districts waited upon the Wellington Hospital Board yesterday in regard to the provision fte maternity and ■ general, hospital in fitutt Valley, including Eastbourne,Petone" Lower Hutt, ; and the district of Upper Hntt, AN URGENT MATTER. Mr W. T. Strand, Mayor of Lower Hutt, said they desired to follow up the Request fdade a year ago for a maternity and general hospital for those districts., Recently a private maternity hospital had been' dosed, and there was only one small private institution at present, which was fully booked for January and February. They asked that the board should give full consideration to the provision of a maternity hospital. The question of site waa.to be left alone. They wanted tbe institution,, for the burden of. motherhood was pressing very hard financially upon working people, the cost Being' about £l9 per head. It was thought that the board should recognise the urgency of doing something in the very near future. If the. site now. under consideration was -not suitable ■ they, were prepared to buy it so (that the hoard oould purchase one in ’ another position.. i • ST. HELEN’S HOSPITAL WOULD . SUIT.

Mr J.. W. McEwan, Mayor off Pedpne, said he was surprised that no decision, had been arrived at by the board since the last deputation . waited on the "board; As he had heard nothing since, he assumed there were strong reasdna for'not complying with the "request#. He thought a' branch of St. • Helen’s’ Hospital w<ould meet their requirements. ' The board had, not vet taken over the St. Helen’s Hospital, 'but/, if. they did so a branch should be placed in the valley, suitably placed for tho people in the whole of the vallecy. The population of Abe Hutt was about 20,000, 'which would give 'them, some.ldea of what ,might Be expected. The preeent cost, averaging £l9; was ‘ more .than, the average, working man boukT afford’to pay, and if something: on the lines of a St.. Helen’s Hospital could be - provided - the people' of .the Hutt Valley would he very pleased: indeed. , .GENERAL APPROVAL.

The Bev.. MeCaw expressed the need for provision being' made. in the-: Hutt, -for maternity cases. It was becoming' increasingly necessary ' that mothers, should be taken away from their.'children and daily surroundings for- the time being; It was an urgent'matter; and he hoped the board would- meet their wishes in the mitter., - Mr L., T. Watkins suppdr(«d. the views expressed.! ' ■ Mr M. Rowe nrged that the Health Department should - take up tho matter, and said that a--casualty department >ub6u)d alsn; be pro,tided,,in view of'the .'working .olaes community which lived and worked there.,7 Mr W- -Cole osk6d' l bow’ they wqvild distinguish between deserving oasqh .and thosw who# could afford-to p3y for ser-l vices. . " ’ ■* ’

OPEN THE DOOR BfIDE, t. .Mr. Strand' said if he was controlling I operations he' would open the * doors very wide. There ' -were professional men wh'o A could ill afford £l9 as those who .were recognised as the ordinary working man. . Those who > could afford to pay he believed 'would pay, and they !should be afforded, the best of: '.treatment. •* -

-Mr Appiaton said if a St. Helen’s in. stitutSm was provided patients- would not be allowed to have tl/eir modical men, which wae ona of the points whichtold; against them.’: It should be - laid down: that ..mothers should be allowed' to have the attendance, of their .own . medical men; He had visited- oho v-at .Wanganui’ where there- was aqoommodation for 20 but thererwag ohly ,ene patient there, QUESTION OF SITE, i ,r lT>e chairman said with regard to the' general -hospital- they would, get better treatment -in Wellington Hospital. The board -agreed >as; to the maternity' , hospitfll, bnt thought at. “would' b© to establish it -on , a small section upon which they would' not be able 'to make provision, fqr a general hospital' when that time, arrived. - As regards the- site of 10 acres jpurcdiased 17 years 'ago 'lt was very central to all of the valley. Once the question of# suitability-of; site' vnss settled- they would' soon’ be, able' to give a definite answer. If the board# provided the hospital it would' ndt ? bd run on. the lines - of the St. Helen’s: Hospital.- This matter would he" con; sudered by the hoard.- Some prqvisiirfr' had ‘been, made, bh't ‘nothing was included in the: levy this' year; ' Mr Strand thanked the- board, and 1 hoped,, that something would acton - hodone.' It .wonldibe-an advantage to th# board as'well as the Hntt, and the int&i ter-of l a cottage hospital could be con-.# sidered later. He believed' th? St#' Winifred Hospital; which had been #'g maternity hospital, would shortly be re; opened as a surgical, institution. ' ’ ; Mr-Luke asked if the site ,was near’ the proposed station on the new 'lin'e., - MrrStrand said - perhaps- it wendd-not' he wise to answer -the question, tut he could , assure them that there would' he sufficient stations in the Hntt Valley.