Hospital on Campus Makes Perfect Sense

Re “UCLA Knocking at Cal State’s Door in Camarillo,” June 30: What an ironic twist of events!

“My dream for this one is a state-of-the-art health-care facility. UCLA has as good as it gets in medicine, but is locked in a limited physical site and is looking to reach out,” stated Barry Munitz, California State University chancellor, while touring the campus of Cal State’s in Camarillo.

It’s my dream, too! It would be the maximum--and the most practical and rational--use of the former campus of Camarillo State Hospital.

Of course, it would be a simple matter to add a special treatment facility, catering local needs and hospitalizing mentally ill and developmentally disabled from surrounding communities. Also, a section of campus would be reserved for the Cal State Channel Islands campus, concentrating mostly on training students for local markets, including health-care and bio sciences.

The only resistance I can imagine may come from three men with distinguished and clear records of opposing any hospital on Cal State’s campus: Gov. Pete Wilson, state Sen. Jack O’Connell and the president of California State University Channel Islands, J. Handel Evans. But they may change their minds, too. After all, they are politicians--and once in a while, reality sets in and they must give in.

For it’s the truth: Cal State’s campus is an ideal place where the physical plant can be rebuilt into a modern hospital, and parts of this plant can be built into a university--and a part of this plant can be reserved for local needs.

ADOLPH DONINS

Oxnard