MENTAL HOSPITAL

Waipa Post, Volume 41, Issue 3185, 7 August 1930, Page 8

MENTAL HOSPITAL

WORK OF DEPARTMENT. V :' MORE BUILDINGS NEEDED. (By Telegraph. Press Association.); WELLINGTON, Wednesday - There were !;6348' persons under ' treatment "in mental hospitals" in New ■ Zealand at the-end of 1929. The ■V> committals numbered 956, or the same- as the previous year, but the -:■ applications for voluntary admission ... were 258, or 32 less. This information is contained in the annual report of the Director-General of Mental Hospitals, Dr T. G. Gray, which was tabled in the House of Representatives to-day. Discussing the question of accommodation, the report "says in spite o± an unexpected decrease m the admis- . sion rate, a high discharge rate and ' "the granting of probation to an un- '-' -•i.usually large number of patients, the -'•* 'institutions were still suffering from 'the serious disadvantages associated with overcrowding. Since the end of Ithe period covered by the report, however, welcome relief had been afforded to Porirua by the transfer of 100 female patients to the new villas at Tokanui and approval had been given for additional buildings at Kingseat, Waitati, Hokitika and Christchurch. A-capital outlay of £152,000 was -' incurred last year upon buildings and M. alterations, but it had to be rememberW ed that much had been spent on kitch(C ens/ laundries; and mother; admlnistraV Wye- units.""" - > ,s»? : 'lFiWfi have still a great need for ■ accomniodatipn for patients finMliregret that in spite of the prefix pent financial depression, I feel bound M - to ask for. generous provision for this ':. purpose," states Dr Gray. ;:.-i;Th;e. -expenditure on the Auckland " ?institu,tion, including Kingseat, total~£V led £2279 last year. New farm build-V-'-'mgs'had: been completed at Kingseat 'uid an-addition had been made to the " male dining room. Plans had been { "'■■ approved for two. villas to aecommov". 'date 100 male patients, and tenders 'would be called,shortly. -~ •••.'•'■' .The medical superintendent's resi--dence.at Auckland was far too large ■ fox its .present purpose and it was •proposed tocohyert it. into a resi- . dential.clinic with accommodation for ■ about 20 patients. l :? Plans had been :■ ;prepar ed-for a new residence for the ' me&cal superintendent., '-•■ The superintendent's-annual report on the'Auckland Hospital states that the total 'number of cases : under xare 'during the year was 1430, with a weekly average of 1178. There had been 216 admissions, 117 males and 99 females. Of this number, 174 were admitted for the first time. Sixty-six voluntary boarders were admitted, making a total of 133 under care, and of these 60 were discharged at the end of the year. The general health of the\ institution had been good. The attendance at the psychiatric .clinic at the Auckland Public ' Hospital was growing in numbers, and at the end of the year is had reached 493. , > The report on the Tokanui Hospital stated that the total number of cases ~- under care had been 488 with a week--V ly- average, of 408. The general ;,"s health of the hospital had been good K for an outbreak of influenza.