MENTAL HOSPITALS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 235, 3 October 1929, Page 7

MENTAL HOSPITALS

VILLA SYSTEM STARTED i PATIENTS BEING CLASSIFIED Discussion in the House of Representatives yesterday revealed that the Mental Hospital Department has the promotnon of the villa system of caring for patients in hand. [ Per Press Association J WELLINGTON, Oct. 2. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. to-day. The report on the mental hospitals of the Dominion was submitted for consideration. Hon. J. A. Young inquired what progress had been made with tho villa system instituted by the lorincr Government in connection with mental patients. Ho trusted that every facility would be given to properly classify patients having good prospects of recovery. Air P. Fraser stated that the intentions of the Mental Hospital Department were above reproach, and it was desirable that the Alinister of Finance should be liberal bo that greatly-need-ed reforms could proceed. The Government’s legislation provided for elderly people in additional institutions, and would make for great improvement, on which the Government should be congratulated. Mr Lysnar stressed the need for reorganisation of tho whole system of admission to mental hospitals, and stated that if English methods were adopted it would be found there would be a considerable reduction in the number of patients. The Hon. A. J. StrliwortLy, replying to the points raised, stated that no Psychopathic wards had yet been opened, but negotiations wer> proceeding with the hospital boards in tho four main centres, and he hoped that some progress would be made. He was satisfied that they would be of great advantage in incipient mental cases. The Alinister stated that the task of classification of patients was being proceeded with as rapidly as possible. In regard to the villa system, he stuted that the villas to be opened next month would relieve the Porirua Alental Hospital of 150 patients. Plans were also in progress for the erection of two additional villas. There was no doubt that the rest homos for elderly people would also give a great deal of relief to overcrowded institutions, and would provide more congenial accommodation for the class of people they were designed to serve. Air Stallworthy assured Air Lysnar that he had closely followed the points raised by the member for Gisborne, and had been prosecuting inquiries along the lines of comparison of the two systems.