MATERNITY SERVICES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 78, Issue 7017, 9 February 1949, Page 6

MATERNITY SERVICES

POSITION AT OTOROHANGA FOURTEEN-BED HOSPITAL WOULD MEET DISTRICT’S NEEDS The member for Otorohanga district on the Waikato Hospital Board. Mr F. G. Johnson, submitted a report to Monday’s meeting of the board on the decision of a committee set up to investigate the question of maternity services for Otorohanga district. The committee met the medical superintendent of the Waikato Hospital (Dr H. L. Gould) and Miss Menzies (lady superintendent) at Otorohanga early this year. It was agreed that a 14-bed maternity hospital would accommodate all cases occurring annually at Otorohanga, and still leave a margin for future increase in the number of births. All maternity cases from the district could be treated at Otorohanga if the amendments and additions were made to the plan presented to the board by its architect in April, 1946. “Provided that Te Kohanga could be kept functioning for another year or until such time that the alterations are completed, it is the committee’s opinion that this one hospital which is the board’s property, could satisfactorily cope with the maternity needs of the Otorohanga district for some time to come. This would save money and avoid uncertainty of tenure that has occurred in cases where the board has been forced to lease hospitals,” stated Mr Johnson.