Wakari Hospital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wakari Hospital |
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| Te Whatu Ora | |
Main Block entrance, Wakari Hospital in 2008
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| Geography | |
| Location | Taieri Road, Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 45°51′32″S 170°28′22″E / 45.858994°S 170.472783°E |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | Publicly funded |
| Hospital type | Psychiatric & Rehabilitation |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | Psychiatric |
| Beds | 90 |
| History | |
| Founded | 1915 |
Wakari Hospital is a special hospital located in Dunedin, New Zealand. It is found in the Wakari area, about three kilometres north-west of the city centre. This hospital is run by Te Whatu Ora, which used to be called the Southern District Health Board. It works closely with Dunedin Hospital.
Wakari Hospital helps people with different health needs. It has special services for mental health, helping people with intellectual disabilities, and supporting those who are recovering physically. The hospital includes units for emergency mental health care and secure units for patients who need extra support. It also offers services for Māori mental health and physical recovery. More and more, it provides services that reach out into the community, like public health and nursing care at home.
Contents
The Story of Wakari Hospital
How Wakari Hospital Started
Wakari Hospital has a long history, starting in 1915. At first, it was a place for people with infectious diseases. Later, it became a sanatorium, which was a special hospital for people with long-term illnesses like tuberculosis.
Changes Over the Years
In 1957, the hospital was updated to become a general hospital. It even served as the main hospital for the Otago region during the 1970s, while Dunedin Hospital was being rebuilt. In the early 1980s, a building where nurses used to live was rented out to the university for students. However, this building was taken back in 1992 when another hospital, Cherry Farm Hospital, closed.
What Wakari Hospital Does Now
Modern Uses of the Hospital
Wakari Hospital continued to care for older people and those with mental health needs. Over the 1990s, the wards for older people slowly closed down. This happened because of government changes that encouraged private companies to provide long-term care. The services for assessing and helping older people recover moved back to Dunedin Hospital.
Future Plans for the Hospital
Today, the main building of Wakari Hospital is being updated. It will be used for various community services, like Public Health and District Nursing. This helps the Southern District Health Board save money by using buildings they already own instead of renting expensive places. There are also ongoing discussions about whether to keep all the land. It has been suggested that some land might be sold to Leslie Groves Hospital.
