GREENVALE SANATORIUM MAY CLOSE

Shortage of Nurses Unless two trained nurses who have resigned from Greenvale Sanatorium are replaced by the end of the month, the institution may have to close.

Five sisters instead of ten are caring for 72 patients, and in addition to the two nurses leaving at the end of the month a third, who is on loan from Fairfield, has been recalled.

Public Health Department officials yesterday expressed alarm at the desperate shortage of trained nurses in the three Government TB sanatoria at Greenvale, Heatherton, and Greswell.

The three institutions are short of 17 trained nurses, and because of this 95 beds are unoccupied.

Already there is a waiting list of 400 TB sufferers, and it is growing weekly.

Wards accommodating 72 beds each are being built at Greenvale and Heatherton, but there is no prospect of their being opened for some time.

TB accommodation at Austin Hospital has been reduced by 50 beds to 90, while all 42 beds at Central Hospital are filled.

Officials said that the shortage of domestics and assistant nurses had eased as servicewomen were demobilised.

It was pointed out yesterday that trained nurses at the Government sanatoria were granted 33 days annual leave, living quarters, and paid for overtime worked.

Precautions taken rendered the danger of tubercular infection negligible.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12154232