OLD HOSPITAL BUILDING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21787, 28 October 1932, Page 10

OLD HOSPITAL BUILDING

NEARING END OF SERVICE PROPOSED NEW BLOCK. A statement with respect to the proposal of the Otago Hospital Board ifcbat a new building should be erected and that the old exhibition building which now serves as the administrative block at' the Dunedin Hospital should ultimately be demolished was submitted by the chairman (Mr W. E. S. Knight) at the meeting of the board last night. The chairman stated that when the Director-general of Health had recently been in Dunedin a verbal proposal had been placed before him, and he had iintimated that he was prepared to advise the Minister of Health to approve M it. The proposal had been that, as the board had in hand a sum of money on, its capital estimates for the infectious diseases block and sundry other ■ extensions'at the Dunedin Hospital (there had also been the Government subsidy due on a levy) the time was opportune to.spend the money, thereby employing a certain amount of labour. Better provision for the V.D. and massage departments t had been urgently required, and it had been suggested that this should be built on the King street frontage as part of the administration offices. These would be gradually provided for and extended, as the-present main block would he removed and ultimately abolished. Therefore, the Minister's consent had been sought so that the money available could be diverted -and used for the erection of the main block, a purpose other than that for which the money had been levied and partially subsidised. A reply had been received that the Minister tentatively approved of the proposal, and the matter had v been immediately put in tram and had been considered on several occasions by the board, the Finance and; Works Committees, the architects, and the medical superintendent, and in conference with the honorary staff. , The suggested removal of the main block had induced-the speaker to make some inquiries which might be of, interest to the board. This block hadl been built for a New Zealand Exhibition, which had been opened in January, 1865, within 17 years of the foundation of the province. The building had been designed by MeSrs Mason and Clayton, the contractors being Messrs Cornwell and Horseman, and the cost of the building approximately £IB.OOO. The foundation stone or tiie building had been laid on February• .,. 1864, and the building had been handed over by the contractors on November U, 1864. so that the building was now 08 years old. The exhibition had been opened on January 12, 1865, and had been closed on May 6, 1865. It had been owon 102 days and three evenings, and it had been recorded that the reason, why it was open only on the three evenings was on account of the failure of the gas supply The ultimate purpose of the building after the exhibition had been that it should be a general market, but apparently it had been decided to> use it foi Hospital. On September 23, 1865, a petition had been sent to the Provincial Council praying that the exhibition, block be not converted into a hospital but used for a market. He found that the patients removed from the old to the new hospital on September 12, 1866, were 104 males and 36 females. The old hospital had stood on the site of .the present Town Hall Later some patients had also been removed from the immigration barracks. The board had been reluctant, the chairman added, to spend mobey on the ok building. The ground had subsided, and some cracks were opening out in the walls. Recently the board had had the lour towers taken down, but the time was now opportune to erect a new building. It was, indeed, necessary that the work should be done. m vThe secretary reported that the Works Committee had met the honorary medical staff with respect to the new administration block. It had been resolved— (1) That the ground floor of the new block should contain the administration block, the first floor to accommodate such patients as were in the No. 1 and mental special wards, and the second floor to accommodate the'eye, ear, nose, and throat ward; (2) that the building line of the proposed new building be reconsidered at a further meeting; and (3) that the architects prepare ft sketch plan of the scheme now suggested and submit it to the board." , _■; ■ The report was adopted, and the Works Committee was asked to. submit a furtherreport to the next meeting of the board.