TOKANUI HOSPITAL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 53, Issue 3795, 14 August 1936, Page 7

TOKANUI HOSPITAL

"A BADLY PLANNED INSTITUTION.” BUT OVERCROWDING NOT SERIOUS. The opinion that the Tokanui Mental Hospital was a very badly planned institution so far as the main building was concerned was expressed by the Director General of Mental Hospitals, Dr T. G. Gray, in his annual i eport for 1935, which was presented in the House of Representatives yesterday. Dr Gray, who stated that overcrowding was not a serious problem at Tokanui, expressed the opinion mat the site ot the building was badly chosen. The shortage of accommodation in the Dominion for mental patients was referred to by Dr Gray. At the end of last year there were 8046 persons upon the registers of mental hospitals, the mental hospital population having increased by 232 inmates during the year. At the time of writing the report, June 1, 1936, there were 935 patients in excess of proper accommodation. OVERCROWDING PROBLEM. “For many years most of our hospitals have been overcrowded, in some instances seriously,” says Dr Gray, "and attention has been frequently called to the shortage of accommodation, but no effective long range building programme has ever been evolved to meet the inevitable increase in our population. We have had to do our best with the annual appropriations from the Public Works Fund, but even when these appropriations have appeared to be sufficient for immediate needs, it has been found most difficult to get the money spent within the financial years, owing to the time occupied in drawing plans, calling for and accepting tenders, etc. “In addition to the 835 patients already surplus to our accommodation, we may anticipate an increase for the current year of about 250, so that there would normally be an excess of 1185 patients at the end ot this year. To meet this we have 12 villas being built at the various hospitals with a total accommodation for 600 men and women, so that the shortage will be reduced to 585 beds—a more favourable position than has existed for some years.” POSITION AT TOKANUI. • “Tokanui is, I think,” said Dr Gray, “a very badly planned Institution so far as the main building is concerned, but there are three good female villas and one male, plus two in course of erection. The site of the main building was badly chosen, and there is little room for expansion in its neighbourhood, but I think that we should erect a hospital admission block and a number of villas at some distance from the present institution and dedicate them to recent and recoverable cases. The time is approaching when a good deal of re construction must take place at Tokanui to provide better laundry, entertainment and administrative facilities,” The superintendent of the Tokanui Mental Hospital, Dr Prins, reported: “The total number of cases under care has been 684, with a weekly average of 574. Admissions were 78 (male 44, female 34), 65 ot these (male 39, female 26) being admitted for the first time. The general health ot the hospital has been good, except for an outbreak of influence in August, when a large number of patients end stall were ill for a few days. “Deaths numbered 32 (males 18, females 14), senile decay being the principal cause. Forty cases were discharged, 29 (male 12 and female 17) being recovered, 6 taken out by relatives, and 5 were transferred. Voluntary boarders under treatment numbered 14 men and 6 women, 7 being new admissions. Six men were discharged recovered. “No major works have been completed during the year. At present the sewerage system is being renewed, a digester built, and parts of the water main from Te Awamutu are being replaced. A new refrigerating plan has been installed, and two new villas are in course of construction. The usual recreations —tennis, bowls, cricket, swimming, etc. —have been carried on, and for the second year in succession the hospital team won the district championship at table tennis. The Te Awamutu Band have given several recitals, and Mr F. Findlay, official visitor, has brought several excellent concert parties. One attendant and five nurses passed the senior examination.”