EMERGENCY HOSPITAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 August 1942, Page 2

EMERGENCY HOSPITAL

NO PATIENTS IN LANSDOWNE SCHOOL. BUILDING CLOSED MEANTIME. Although the Masterton Hospital is still full, the emergency hospital established at Lansdowne School has been closed meantime. This position was disclosed by Mr Norman Lee, Managing-Secretary of the Wairarapa Hospital Board, this morning. Mr Lee stated that although the hospital at the school had been closed it was not intended to hand back the building at present, as it might be required again in a few days’ time. In any case, it was only ten days before the school holidays commenced and it was hoped to hand back the school at the beginning of the school term a fortnight later. In July, the average number of occupied beds in Masterton Hospital, 157, was the highest on record, while that for Anzac Hospital at Featherston was 63. Thus the average number of occupied beds for these two hospitals, the principal ones concerned with the treatment of soldier patients (besides civilians at the Masterton Hospital), was 221 in July, as compared with 110 at Masterton Hospital in July, 1941. The closing of the Lansdowne School hospital was due to a decrease in the number of influenza and measles patients from the camps. Only one patient remained in the school this morning and he was transferred to the main hospital. Although the number of soldier patients had decreased, that of civilian patients had increased. Good progress was being made with the erection of the new emergency ward and the position in respect to this building was very satisfactory.