STAFF ACCOMMODATION

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 77, Issue 6566, 15 September 1948, Page 11

STAFF ACCOMMODATION

PROBLEM FOR WAIKATO HOSPITAL BOARD HAMILTON AND ROTORUA A recommendation that consideration be given to the erection of at least four flats to accommodate married staff at the Waikato Hospital was made by the medical superintendent, Di H. L. Gould, at a meeting of the Waikato Hospital Board on Monday. “At the present time a good percentage of the junior house staff are married, and the accommodation position in the hospital is very desperate,” stated the medical superintendent. “Also nearly all members of the senior staff are married and all new members coming on have great difficulty in finding accommodation. The advantage of having flats, even for temporary use for senior married staff while they look round, is obvious, and to have the flats near hospital, say in Ohaupo Road below the Nurses’ Home, would be very useful, owing to their proximity to hospital.” Investigation of the position wag left to a committee set up to deal with a similar problem at the Rotorua Hospital. The suggestion was made in a report on the shortage of medical staff accommodation at Rotorua, that Strathmore block should be temporarily put to use as accommodation for house surgeons. The architect, Mr A. Smith, gave the board the assurance that the building could be subdivided into a two-unit dwelling in such a way that it could be reconverted into a ward with facility when no longer needed to accommodate staff. At present the ward was not in use. The chairman, Mr H. D. Caro, did not favour use of Strathmore as suggested. He thought if the block was so used “the Department of Health would have something to say about it.” Mrs H. Ross also considered the proposal not advisable. “Too many temporary measures become permanent,” she commented. Mr R. G. Young suggested that it might be possible to subsidise surgeons faced with a temporary accommodation problem to enable them to board privately. Mr E. G. Guy commented that some action must be taken or the hospital would have no house surgeons next year. The only men available were married or about to be married. The matter was left to a committee of investigation.