ACCOMMODATION AT HOSPITAL

Southland Times, Issue 23229, 18 June 1937, Page 6

ACCOMMODATION AT HOSPITAL

Old Building May Be Repaired

BIGGER NUMBER OF PATIENTS POSITION DESCRIBED AS ACUTE Whether additions will be made to the new Southland Hospital at Kew or whether the old hospital buildings in Dee street will be repaired remains undecided. At the monthly meeting of the Southland Hospital Board yesterday it was explained that the board’s request to the Director-General of Health (Dr M. H. Watt) to arrange an early conference in Invercargill with the board had been declined in the meantime. The chairman (Mr T. Golden) said that it was unfortunate that Dr Watt could not come to Invercargill for an early discussion on the question. With the increased number of patients in the past year, the position was becoming acute.

The following letter, explaining the position, was sent by the board’s secretary (Mr T. Pryde) to Dr Watt; “Since the board opened its new hospital at Kew for the reception of patients, it has—as was previously suggested and tentatively approved by your department—transferred the inmates of the Lome infirmary, over 70 in number, to the old hospital buildings in Dee street, where there are at present 100 patients, apart from the acute medical and surgical cases, totalling 100, in the new hospital at Kew. The old buildings at Lome infirmary accommodated only about 80 patients and the staff. The closing of that institution and the transfer of all the inmates and staff to the old hospital now gives the board accommodation for anything up to about 130 patients—at least 50 more than could be admitted at Lome.

EXPENDITURE ON REPAIRS “Since the transfer of the patients and staff from the Dee street hospital to the new hospital, the board is faced with the necessity of spending a considerable amount on repairs and renovations to the old hospital buildings, which might easily rim into £2OOO or £3OOO right away. The board feels that if extensive repairs have to be carried out it will be necessary for your department to give it some assurance that it would be allowed to use the buildings for, say, another 10 or 12 years. If that does not appeal to your department the board will have _at once to consider an extensive building programme at Kew, which, at present, it is anxious to avoid. In these circumstances the board has directed me to ask either yourself or Dr Shore, with the department’s architect, to visit Invercargill at an early date, with the object of discussing the whole position with the board and deciding whether a building programme should be undertaken at once, or whether the board would be justified in carrying out extensive repairs to the old hospital buildings, making them reasonably suitable for another 10 or 12 years.” Dr Watt had replied that it would be impossible for either Dr Shore or himself to visit Invercargill for some weeks. However, as soon as arrangements could be made, one ot them “would be pleased to come to Invercargill and discuss future hospital developments.” “We may yet find that we require all three institutions,” said Dr J. A. Pottinger. On the motion of Mr W. M. Norman, it was decided that the letter should be received and that when the doctor' came to Invercargill he should be shown over both the old hospital and the Lome infirmary.