English and Australian Hospitals in which New Zealand Sick and Wounded are Treated

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume VIII, Issue 4, 1 October 1915, Page 176

English and Australian Hospitals in which New Zealand Sick and Wounded are Treated

Alexandria : No. 15 General Hospital was the first of th new hospitals to be established m Egypt by the Imperial Authorities on the outbreak of hostilities m the Dardanelles. It i m an Egyptian Government School, and the large class rooms, dining rooms, and dormitories, and kitchen make it easily adaptable as a hospital. A great deal has been done m fitting-up operating theatres, X-ray rooms, administrating offices, to., and it is now a very well equipped hospital. There is a separate building which is used for offices, and there are large aumbers of tents and marquees to accommodate patients and male staff. Twenty of our nurses were sent here on arrival of the first contingent, and others went from the second. 1,000 to 1,200 patients can b 3 taken and at my last visit there were 90 trained nurses, and a large number of orderlies. A great many New Zealanders are nursed here. No. 17 General Hospital m a large College at Victoria, Alexandria, is somewhat similar m arrangement ; but when I last visited there was accommodation for 1/800 patients, many under canvas. Twenty of our nurses were there when I left Egypt. This is the only hospital m "which all the medical staff and orderlies and other male employees and a number of the nursing staff were under canvas. There are, however, two houses also for nursing staff — of whom there were 100. No. 19 General Hospital. This is a hospital built by Germans, and staffed by German deaconesses and was taken over m June. It was originally about 300 beds and was a partly private hospital. It has been added to by wooden buildings on the flat roof, and one other large school taken over, and now provides for 1,000 patients with possibility of extension. Four of our sisters were sent here from the first contingent, and more have been sent from the last. For a time it was under-staffed. The New Zealand doctors belonging to the R.A. M.C., are on the staff ; Miss Bilton is also on the nursing staff. It is a very fine building with marble staircases and halls, two good wards of 16 beds, well-lighted and ventilated, very good theatres with other annexes, X-ray department and fine quarters for officers. Beds are also placed along

the wide corridors. A great lack m this and the Australian Hospital at Cairo, is that there are no balconies. The nurses quarters are very cramped m this hospital. No. 21 General Hospital to which 15 sisters of the second contingent were sent and more from the last contingent. This is a very large barracks of the Egyptian Army and is near the old Khedival Palace. It has been transformed into a very fine hospital, and a considerable amount of money must have been spent. A whole top story on the flat has baen bui t lightly of wood and plaster, the greater part of which is for enteric cases. 300 to 400 can be taken Bathrooms and lavatories have been added Theatres, X-ray rooms and every necessary appointment has been provided. There is a separate wing facing the sea which was the Army Officers' quarters and this is used : the ground floor for offices for Red Cross stores, workers, OfficerCommanding, Matron, and other administrative purposes, and the first floor for sick and wounded officers. Their quarters are very comfortable but quite simply and economically furnished. Many of our New Zealand soldiers are treated here. The nursing staff is mixed, English, Aust-alian, Canadian, and New Zealand. In these Military Hospitals, the Sisters do not find the ordeilies nearly so good as our New Zealand orderlies. All the trained orderlies have gone to the front, and these are not of the same stamp. This makes the nursing more strenuous for the Sisters. Some of the Sisters at the above hospitals have been since withdrawn for our own hospitals and for transport duty to the Dardanelles and New Zealand.. Ras-el-Tin Hospital, The old Military hospital I did not see, but I was told by a New Zealand Officer that he was very well caivd for there. Convalescent Hospitals. Lady Godley's Hospital which is on the sea shore not far from the town, is m two comfortable houses with accommodation for 60 men There is a trained nurse m charge and a Red Cross assistant. It is simply furnished and the work is done

resiaen ot Alexandria; now m England, and maintained by the Eed Cross. It is a delightful place, and has been the means •of restoring to health many nurses who might have broken down. A good many of our nurses have been there for a- week or two, and it is hoped to send all m turn when the hospitals are light. There is accommodation for 30 at a time, some m a house-boat m the bay, which is moored over the scene of Nelson's great, victory. There are plenty of native servants, and the meals are excellent. There is another convalescent Home for nurses near Alexandria, but I did not see it. There is also a convalescent home for soldiers maintained by the Australian Medical Service. Cairo. The Citadel Military Hospital established m an ancient palace is the original hospital used for the Army of Occupation. It is a very rambling building and stands very high above the city and is surrounded by the Garrison quarters, mos ques, and the Barracks, m which, Turkish prisoners are confined. Eight of the first contingent of nurses were here but only one now remains. The Imperial Infectious Diseases Hos pital at Shoubra, near Cairo. Four of the New Zealand nurses who went with the Australian Contingent are on duty here, and Dr. Agnes Bennett is one of the two resident medical office rs. This is a hospital built for the Australian residents of Cairo, chiefly for private patients, and was taken over by the Imperial authority m August. It contains 100 beds, but this number can bs increased by using corridors and tents. The staff is to be composed of English, Australian and New Zealand doctors and nurses. The Heliopolis Palace Hospital which is occupied by the No. 1 Australian General Hospital contains 1,000 beds. A great many New Zealanders have been treated m this Hospital which is a very fine building. There are very comfortable private and semi-private wards for officers and sisters. Several of the 12 New Zealand nurses sent by Australia have been on the staff of this Hospital and its auxiliaries. Sister Turnbull is X-ray Sister.

hospital In one hall, the skating rink, there are 500 beds. It is usually filled by the overflow of less serious cases from the main hospital. No. 2 Auxiliary, The Atelier, is a huge workshop as its name implies, and contains over 400 beds m one large hall. In some respects it is better than No. 1 Auxiliary and has been made as comfortable as possible under the circumstances. Operations are performed m a screened-off corner. No. 3 Auxiliary is established m the Heliopolis Sporting Club Buildings Grounds, and the patients are accommodated m openair lightly covered-in spaces which were tenni ; and bowls courts, and to which the necessary lavatories and bathrooms have been added. The bads to the number of 300 and over are placed on the bare ground and are of cane and ratten. The sides are not covered m, and the light roof covering is of matting. As rain is not anticipated, and those places are cool the patients usually do woll and like the comparative open after their life m the trenches. Very serious cases are not supposed to be sent here. Besides these gr^at open-air wards there are 9 or 10 long wooden pavilions erected to contain 50 beds and these can easily be added to. There is a mess and recreation pavilion, and cook sheds. All cooking and provisioning m this and the other Australian Hospitals is done by contract with Cairo firms. In the Sporting Club Building a theatre with annexes had been improvised m the kitchen, and administration offices were also here. There were no New Zealand nurses on the staff of. this hospital, but usually several New Zealand patients. This large temporary place was opened early m August to meet the expected large influx of wounded. The No. 2 Australian General Hospital is established m the Regina Palace Hotel, a very fine building on the banks of the Nile. From 800 to 1,000 patients can be taken here. The large halls make fine wards, and the many smaller rooms opening from one into another along the corridors are also well adapted for hospital purposes. There are plenty of very fine bathrooms and lavatories, well equipped

theatres, etc. There are fine grounds and the patients also have access to the ad^ joining public gardens. On my visit I found many New Zealanders here and they all appeared very happy and comfortable. From the staff of this hopsital our own hospital at Abassieh was nursed for some time. Miss Gould is the Matron. The Eed Cross Hospital at Gizeh. This hospital of 300 beds is established m a large Government School, and has been excellently fitted up and equipped. The building is very well adapted for the purpose of a hospital and appeared to be under excellent management. The Matron, a fully trained nurse of experience, is the wife of a leading medical practitioner m Cairo, who was acting as medical superintendent. -At the time of my visit there were on the staff 9 trained nurses and more were expected.. The remainder of the staff were voluntary aid workers and probationers who had been working when it was im possible to obtain the services of sufficient trained nurses. All the work other than nursing is performed by Arab servants. At the time of my visit two New Zealand officers Were m the very comfortable officers' quarters. I saw the well-cooked and appetising meal which was being served to both officers and privates. The patients of this Hospital have a free pass to the beautiful grounds of the Zoo which adjoin. At the time of my leaving Egypt another large building had been taken to add to this hospital. The Anglo-American Hospital. This hospital at Cairo is mainly a private hospital of about 40 beds and is very comfortable, standing m beautiful grounds. New Zealand officers were sent here, but now our own officers' quarters will probably be sufficient. The Egyptian Government Hospital, Cairo. This is a hospital established man old barrack building, and intended for the native population. Arrangements had been made to reserve it mainly for the reception of wounded. One New Zealand nurse not of the Defence Forces was working here. Hazarea Schools, Cairo. This building was recently taken over by the Military authorities as an adjunct to the Citadel Hospital. Two New Zealand nurses, Sisters Nixon and Curties, were sent m charge of large divisions. At the time of my visit

it "was m course of transformation and would make a very good hospital of about 800 beds. It was m three blocks of two stories each. Theatres, sterilising rooms, dressing rooms and other necessary offices were being prepared, and there were then about 300 patients m. Besides these Hospitals I visited a convalescent hospital at Helouan. There were at the time no New Zealand patients but one New Zealander not attached to the forces was nursing there. The large Helouan Hotel was also opened for convalescents and Mena House had been re-opened. At the time I left Egypt a Canadian Stationary Hospital with 20 sisters, which had just arrived, was m course of establishment m a large building at Abassieh. The above outline gives some idea of the provision for the sick and wounded m Egypt, Port Said. The Egyptian Government Hospital which was mainly for native patients is now reserved almost exclusively for the troops. When I visited the hospital, before our own hospital was opened, there were only a few Ntw Zealanders there, but they may at any time be admitted. It is an old hospital but quite comfortable. The nursing staff is a Religious Order, the Matron and some sisters being trained nurses. When our last contingent arrived six sisters were detailed for duty there, and live m the quarters of our own staff. Besides the hospital there is a camp hospital under canvas for the more convalescent soldiers. Schools Hospital. This hospital of 300 beds is mostly under canvas and is under the control of Captain Heron, the Government Health Officer, and of his wife, a trained nurse. There are two other trained nurses on the staff and some voluntary aid workers which just before I left six New Zealand sisters of the 3rd contingent were lent and live at our own staff quarters. The rest of the work is done by native orderlies and servants. Lady Strangford Hospital. This is for private patients from the British resident population. A few officers are taken. It is a very old building, but is shortly to move into a new building next to the New Zealand hospital on the sea shore. The Convalescent Hospital Camp for enteric patients recently opened at Port Said, I did not see.