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(13) Hawke's Bay Hospital Board. —Large additions have been made to the Soldiers Memorial Hospital at Hastings, giving increased accommodation for medical and surgical patients ; a new maternity wing has been added. (14) Coolt Hospital Board,.—A- new maternity annex has been built in the same grounds as the general hospital, thus concentrating all hospital activities on one site. (15) Waikato Hospital Board. —(a) Since the King George V Hospital was taken over by the Board extensive alterations have been made to the buildings, so that more small wards and single rooms are now provided and also accommodation for maternity cases. The work of the hospital shows a great increase. (6) A new boiler-house has been built and a new boiler installed, so that the supply of steam, previously inadequate, is now ample to meet all requirements. (16) Auckland Hospital Board. —Costley Infirmary : An additional story is being added to the women's block to provide necessary additional accommodation. The necessity of building a special hospital to accommodate all " chest cases " is being discussed with the Auckland Hospital Board. (17) Waiapu Hospital Board.—Plans and specifications have been completed and a contract let for additions to the hospital, including a new ward, a cottage for domestic staff, and remodelling of other parts of the hospital. (18) Bay of Islands Hospital.—ln order to allow of proposed additions and alterations to the general part of this hospital, the maternity ward has been moved to a new position. Plans for the alterations and additions are now in hand. The above is a short resume of the main building operations during the last year. The total cost of these, together with several other minor works, is over £150,000. It is considered that the expenditure on additions to hospitals and ancilliary buildings must in the future show an increase. Some of our hospitals are overcrowded, and in many instances all available veranda space is occupied by permanent beds. In fact, so universal is this mis-use of veranda space that I think it is desirable that the main wards should have no side veranda, but be provided only with a sunroom at the northern end. This policy was followed out at Napier, and is being adopted at the new Kew Hospital (Southland). This allows a maximum amount of sunshine to enter the wards and offers no impediment to efficient ventilation. Accommodation foe Patients Suffering from Pulmonary Tuberculosis. All the sanatoria in New Zealand are now administered by Hospital Boards, either singly or in groups. In New Zealand the number of beds provided in sanatoria is as follows : — South Island— M. f. Cashmere Hills .. .. .. .. 92 104* Pleasant Valley .. .. .. .. 24 30 Wakari .. 30 15 Waipiata .. .. .. .. .. 44 74 Total 190 223* * Plus 8 children. North Island— Pukeora Sanatorium .. .. .. . . 150 Otaki Sanatorium .. .. .. .. .. .. 62 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. 150 62 Note. —Proposals to add more beds at Otaki are at present being considered. In addition there are provided in special annexes attached to Hospital Board institutions a number of beds as follows : — F _ North Island .. .. .. .. .. .. 156 139 South Island .. .. .. .. . . 49 41 The total accommodation available in each Island is : — M. f. North Island .. .. .. .. .. .. 306 201 South Island .. . . .. .. . . .. 239 264* * Plus 8 children. Of the total number (507) of beds in the North Island 41-8 per cent, are sanatoria beds, and in the South Island of the total number (511) beds 82-3 per cent, are in sanatoria. The average rate of occupied beds for the year ending 31st March, 1934, in the sanatoria in the two Islands is :— North Island .. .. .. .. .. 62 • 4 South Island .. .. .. .. .. 80 • 7 Obviously although the North Island has a lesser number of sanatoria beds they are not so fully utilized as those in the South Island.

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