CAMP PATIENTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 June 1942, Page 2

CAMP PATIENTS

TRANSFER FROM MARQUEE AT GREYTOWN NOTHING TO DO WITH HOSPITAL BOARD. EXPLANATION AT TODAY’S MEETING. Reference to a recent transfer of military patients from a marquee at Greytown to a building in the town was made at today’s meeting of the Wairarapa Hospital Board. ; The Managing-Secretary, Mr Norman Lee, stated that the matter had nothing to do with the Hospital Board, which had never been asked to take the patients. If the board had been requested, it could have found accommodation for them at the Greytown Hospital. Mr J. F. Thompson agreed that this was the case. Mrs S. Fletcher: “I hope this will be put in the paper. I have been rung up and scolded severely for having patients in a marquee. It has nothing to do with us.” Mrs J. Robertson pointed out that the board could not say whether the patients should be in a camp hospital or not. She understood that the medical officer there was very keen to keep the patients in camp. “If they can run so many small ones, why don’t they take the lot,” observed Mr Arch. Clark. “Can we sell them our two marquees?” asked Mrs Fletcher. Mr Thompson said the marquee at Greytowh was not blown down. There was a pretty stiff southerly blowing at the time and on the previous there had been a fire, with the resil/t that some of the lights in the camp had been lost. The men were dry enough inside the marquee, but thg;re was so much water about that it was decided to evacuate the marquee. It had nothing to do with the board whatever. They could not blame the medical authorities, who were doing their best. The cases concerned were mild ones.