YET ANOTHER LOAN.

Wairarapa Age, 13 February 1936, Page 5

YET ANOTHER LOAN.

PROPOSAL BY HOSPITAL BOARD. ADDITIONAL PATIENTS’ ACCOMMODATION. NEW MATERNITY ANNEXE. Following an extended and at times involved discussion the Wairarapa Hospital Board decided, at its meeting yesterday, to raise a furfher loan of £lO,OOO to provide erecfion of a new materat the Masterton Hospital and to enable the present maternity ward to be altered and extended so that it will provide accommodation for 25 medical patients. The new proposal brings the estimated cost of new capital works this financial year to £32,500, just £2OOO short of the sum recommended by -the Building Committee some months ago and subsequently turned down by the board. Yesterday’s discussion arose as the result of a notice of motion by Mr. J. C. Ewington that, to provide the necessary additional accommodation required at the Masterton Hospital the Board proceed fo raise a further loan of £lO,OOO for the purpose of: (a) The erection of a maternity annexe in the vicinity of the main entrance at the hospital to provide accommodation for approximately 16 beds with all the necessary offices, estimated cost, £BOOO. !(b) To convert the present maternity ward into an ordinary hospital ward and to alter arid extend that ward so that it will accommodate 25 patients, estimated cost, £2OOO. ACCOMMODATION NECESSARY Supporting his motion, Mr. EwingHon recalled that, with several other members of the board, he had opposed the £20,000 loan proposal because it made no provision for increased patients’ accommodation at the Masterton Hospital. He agreed that the erection of a new nurses’ home and the provision of an administration block were good and necessary works but he considered that it was absolutely essential that provision should be made for increased patients’ accommodation. A new maternity annexe had been urgently wanted over a long period. The additional 25 beds would provide sufficient accommodation for several years to come. He felt that he was only doing his duty in bringing the matter before the board. When the ratepayers realised the necessity of the expenditure he thought that they would not object to any increase in rates. Seconding the motion, Miss C. MeKenny said that the maternity annexe should always be separate from the general hospital buildings. She referred to the present over-crowding of patients and said ft was a marvel to her that the nursing staff could give such good service under the conditions prevailing.

■the chairman, Mr. W. Fisher: “We arg going Lack to my original motion of EM,000.” ‘TBOra MISHANDLED.’’ Mr. W. B. Martin: “It was turned down because the report was circulated to local bodies before it had been confirmed by members of the board. The whole thing was mishandled. We snould prepare figures to convince local bodies that the expenditure is necessary. lam inclined, personally, to the opinion that this expenditure is necesAt the request of Mr. Ewington a report by the Medical Superintendent, Dr. Archer Hosking, was read. In his report Dr. Hosking said that it was imperative that additional accommodation should be provided for patients and that provision should also be made in the event of an epidemic breaking out. Mr. P. B. Welch agreed that it was important and necessary that increased accommodation should be provided for patients but he questioned the necessity of the proposed expenditure on the new maternity annexe. Mr. H. H. Mawley was not at all convinced that the board should build a new maternity annexe but he was of the opinion that additional accommodation for medical patients was necessary. .. , x. Mr. Fisher: “The whole question resolves itself into an additional loan of £10,000.” “A MESS-UP.” Mr. R. Smith: “The whole thing is such a mess-up that no one knows where he is.*’ Mr. W. L Armstrong moved as an amendment that a separate ward be built to provide increased patients’ ac- I eommodation and that the maternity ward be left as at present. It would tost between £4OOO and £5OOO to build a 85 bed ward. The amendment was seconded, pro forma, by Mr. C. T. Richardson, who said that the board was all at sea over the proposals. A Building Committee had been set up but only two of its members supported the report. Mr. Fisher recalled that the verandahs had been glassed in oa the recommendation of Dr. Valentine when he was Director-General of Health. Now the department had turned round and objected to patients being accommodated on the verandahs. He would admit, however, that far too many patients were being accommodated on the verandahs. ,r You can hardly move between the beds at times,’’ he added. SENSIBLE THING TO DO.” “It ia the only sensible thing to do,” observed Mr. Trevor Beetham in supporting the motion. Mr. Martin favoured the motion. A very definite statement, however, outlining the necessity for the expenditure should be drawn up and circulated to the local bodies concerned. They did not want another misfire. He had been astonished at the action taken in connection with the £32,000 loan. Mrs. 8. Fletcher and Mr. F. W. Parry both spoke in favour of the motion. Mr. F. Court said he did not know how he was going to face his county council in light of the proposed £lO,000 loan. “I feel,"he said “that we have gone far enough for this year.” Mr. R. Smith: “I feel the same way about my council.” Mr. Fisher: “I.do not think the building will be put up this year. Anyway I do not see there is any way of getting over it.” MOTION CARRIED. On being put to the meeting, the amendment was defeated and the motion was carried by 13 votes to 3. -■“fcessrs Armstrong, Court and Smith Toted against the motion on the

grounds that the expenditure on the maternity annexe was not justified. The Finance Committee, with the addition of Mr. Martin, was instructed to draw up a report on the proposals for circulation to the local bodies. The Medical Superintendent submitted a report urging that increased accommodation should be provided for T.B. patients. Members realised that something would have to be done and it was decided to obtain a plan and an .estimate of the cost of erecting a wooden shelter to accommodate about six T.B. patients. The matter will be again discussed when the estimate is submitted to the next meeting. A report by the Director-General dealing with the unsatisfactory state of the mortuary at the Masterton Hospial was referred to the estimates meeting for consideration. It was stated that the estimated cost of improvements to the morgue was £240.

It was also decided to defer consideration until the estimates meeting of a letter from the Director-General dealing with the board's building programme for the next 5 years. “All these matters,” the chairman remarked, ‘ ‘ will have to be considered together. We cannot deal with them piecemeal. ’ ’