XN000022-1973-06-13 — Page 4

Wednesday, June 13, 1973

QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL IN ITS TENTH YEAR

Queen Elizabeth Hospital, one of the biggest in the Commonwealth,

is now in its tenth year of operation, and learning to cope with pressures undreamed of when it opened in 1963.

The number of beds in the hospital at that time was 1,338, and

this figure remained about the same until 1967. Then the complement was increased to 1,481 to meet a growing demand for admission through the

casualty section.

Small increases in the bed complement were made in the next two

years, for the same reason, until the total of beds reached 1,525. It

then became impossible to put additional normal-size beds into the wards

because of physical limitations.

Metal camp beds of smaller size with sorbo rubber mattresses

were introduced, and this innovation made it possible for the number of

beds to be increased to the present figure of 1,893.

"But since the hospital does not refuse admission of cases whenever

recommended by medical officers in the casualty section, even 1,898 beds

are sometimes not enough," a spokesman said.

At times, canvas folding beds are brought into service. In the

past few months, it has not been unusual to have 70 or more patients in a

ward originally designed for 31.

/Approximately