REPORT ON HOSPITALS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 77, Issue 6566, 15 September 1948, Page 7

REPORT ON HOSPITALS

KAWHIA AND OTOROHANGA PROVISION OF FACILITIES IN SMALLER CENTRES In a report to the Waikato Hospital Board at its meeting in Hamilton on Monday, Mr F. C. Johnson, member for Kawhia and Otorohanga, stated that he had recently got in touch with Sister Parkinson, of Kawhia Hospital, and had been advised that everything at the hospital was satisfactory. She would be glad, howdVer, if a radio could be made available as soon as possible. “I gathered from her tone that everything was happy and that she was finding the people congenial and helpful,” commented the board member. The board agreed to a more comprehensive scheme for additions to the. Kawhia Hospital, submitted to them by the Director-General of Health. It is planned to make provision for a sluice room, nursery and bath units.

The Director-General of Health also advised the board that after further consideration it had been decided to adhere to the previous decision not to enlarge the operating theatre at Sunnyside Hospital, Otorohanga. Sketch plans from which an operating theatre was omitted, were submitted to the board. The board member said that people in his district were apprehensive in regard to the omission of an operating theatre at Sunnyside Hospital. It was the stated opinion of the. Director-General that it was not good policy to provide such facilities in the board’s smaller cottage hospitals, but members pointed out that the Department had had itself suggested more comprehensive facilities at Kawhia Hospital. They considered that the Government should give an indication of its general policy in this respect, so that hospital boards could work to it. Mr F. L. Onion, Wjaipa County representative on the board, commented that the Department’s policy in regard to hospital facilities lacked uniformity, and Mr Burgess (Te Aroha) said that the position was clcsely connected with the Government’s attitude toward decentralisation, which was a matter of great importance to country districts such as Te Aroha, Te Kuiti, Te Awamutu and other areas. He thought that every effort should be made to induce the Government to change its present policy and adopt a more favourable attitude to the provision of better hospital facilities in country districts. “We in Te Awamutu would like to know the Government’s attitude toward combined hospitals,” stated Mr A. E. Bryant. “Do they want them together or in separate centres? Te Awamutu has two private hospitals and the question we would ask is: Does the Department object to the provision of a general hospital or to the existence of general and private hospitals in the same centre?” i Eventually it was resolved, on the motion of Mr F. L. Onion, that the Department be asked for clarification of the matter.