Hastings racecourse was used as a temporary hospital in 1918

The Hastings racecourse was used as a temporary hospital during the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic. Photo / File

As Hawke's Bay DHB is set to open community assessment centres amid the Covid-19 pandemic, emergency hospitals set up in Hawke's Bay during the Spanish influenza epidemic come to mind.

The Hawke's Bay DHB announced on Monday that it would be setting up community assessment centres as part of its full-scale emergency response structure.

The centres will be used to swab and assess unwell people.

The first assessment centre is expected to open on Thursday morning at Hastings Health Centre's old building, 101 Queen St East, Hastings.

As the topic of the Spanish influenza epidemic arises Martin Beck has been looking into what Hawke's Bay has done in the past.

He has found that 102 years ago during the Spanish influenza epidemic, an emergency hospital was erected at the Hastings Racecourse Grandstand.

A Maori hospital was also set up in Drill Hall, Hastings for returned Maori soldiers and their families.

During this time staff died at the Hastings Emergency Hospital.

Nurse Ina Geraldine Leech died at the hospital at the racecourse in November 1918.

A tribute memorial to her was decided upon in January 1923 and can be seen at Messrs Tong and Hoare's monumental works in Hastings.