SANATORIUM AT WAIPIATA

Southland Times, Issue 23297, 6 September 1937, Page 13

SANATORIUM AT WAIPIATA

COMMITTEE MEETS SAMUEL SALTZMAN BLOCK DISCUSSED The Waipiata Sanatorium Committee met at Dunedin, there being present Messrs E. Macdonald (chairman), W. Bryant, J. Rodman, J. Ritchie, T. Dowling, A. Rennie, T. Golden, J. H. Smith and Dr T. McKibbin, representing the Department of Health. The medical superintendent (Dr A. Kidd) reported that on July 31 there were 134 patients in the institution, the majority of whom were either doing well or improving. The secretary (Mr T. Pryde) reported that the associated boards had patients in the institution ah follows: Southland, 62; South Canterbury, 18; Ashburton, 11; Waitaki, eight; South Otago, 12; Wallace, nine; Vincent, seven; Maniototo, six; total, 133. Of that number 46 had been under treatment for more than 12 months. Since the previous meeting seven patients from five hospital districts had been discharged. At present there was a waiting list of 19 patients from four hospital districts.* As arrangements had been made for the admission of seven of these almost immediately, the actual list was thus reduced to 12, five of

whom were in the shelters at the Dunstan hospital. The secretary reported that as the result of a visit to Invercargill by Dr R. A. Shore, of the Health Department, and after a conference with himself and the architect, a decision had been reached about the lay-out of the Samuel Saltzman administrative and treatment block, so that there would be complete separation of the clerical and medical work. This plan was approved by the committee, and it was stated that as soon as the. measurements had been checked by the officers of the Health Department the architect would be instructed to have working drawings and specifications prepared for tendering for the early erection of the building. The treasurer (Mr T. Pryde) submitted a statement of the committee’s finances for the four months ended July 31, showing that the receipts were balancing the amount estimated, although the expenditure for the period was in excess of the amount budgeted. The financial position, however, showed an improvement since earlier in the year. A discussion took place about the best arrangements for housing and caring for advanced or chronic cases of tuberculosis, and Mr Rennie asked whether the committee had any intention of providing any accommodation for this type of patient at Waipiata. The majority of the members present expressed the opinion that caring for this type of patient was really the work of the individual hospital boards, which should have accommodation at their base hospitals where the patients would be near their own relatives, and the committee’s policy should be to concentrate more on the care and early treatment of those suffering from the disease.