THE INSPECTOR-GENERAL GIVES EVIDENCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8209, 5 August 1915, Page 8

THE INSPECTOR-GENERAL GIVES EVIDENCE.

Colonel Thomas H. A. Valintine, In-fipec.tor-GeneraJ of Hospitals, said that .on Juno 5, under instructions from the Mini/iber of Defence, he visited Berhampore Hospital. There wero 87 patients I there, 10 each in two wards, which

{ wero built for four and could really accommodate six. In one marquee there vvero. 15 patients, in another nine, in another 16. Tho marquees wero moanfe to hold 12 sick men. In other •rooms men were accommodated as follows : —2lft by 12ft room, three pafcioats; Bft x 4ft, two (there vras some ■doubt expressed by the Commission as

to these dimensions); 15ft x 9ft, three patients; 15ft. x 12ft, three patients; 6ft x lOfb, two patients; and two other small rooms two patients each. Witness considered the hospital overcrowded. With tho marquees, it should have \ held not more than 50 patients. Be- | fore consul ting the Minister witness arranged to obtain the Victoria ward (44 beds). The- "tin ward" (16 beds), was also obtained. The incurable patients were not removed from Victoria ward, but could be at any time, as Mr Blundell's house had been acquired. Colonel Valintino said that the buildings, which seemingly needed little preparation, were often found to' take a great deal. If the school had: been taken it might have b/een a week before | it Ava's -ready,;.with ■cooking, washing, sanitary etc. Had he: been in the position of.the Director..of Medical Services'ho" w'dxild have ldon6 exactly as he did and have ■■. taken Berampore Hospital,- which .was.-ready,- in preference " to. the school or other building, which was not." .-■■.-. ■ , .V: ' 'Witness produced a statement of ad- I 'nvs'sitihs to the hospital. In 11 days 'after he took charge 19. .patients were admitted .'. .Critics had charged them with confusion. On June 27 and 28 he; admitted, there was . some confusion,bub he contended that well-established hospitals" would have had their equani-, mity disturbed if 118 patients were dumped at their doors in one night. They were- working with buildings which had to bo improvised, doctors and nurses who were not accustomed. to work together, and orderlies who wero practically untrained. "In the midst of this a. politician loomed largely on the horizon.'! ' " His Honour: I don't think we need go into that. . Colonel Valintine said that for two nights :; there'' was sonic cpnf vision^ but to describe it.ras chaotic was unfair; If Dr. Thacker..-wished to justify the"stand he took as a humanitarian and sportsman he would- have taken oif his coat and helped instead of rushing off to spread an ala>m. While-holding"that Dr. ThackerVcriticism was unjustified, witness regretted that one of his'own officers had said that tho men received treatment, as ••good as in any hospital in the-Dominion: That.was an exaggeration, but it was quite correct to say that the-men received the best treatment possible under the circumstances. There were' always blankets sufficient for all, arid.sufficient food, though the cooking, while they had to rely on the range in the trainers' quarters, was not as good as might have been desired. : < " • } '■• Dr.Vftlintihe, when asked if men got medical'attention- suited -to their cases, replied: "As to the severe cases I am quite" confident tho medical attention wa^ good' right thrbughout. The great difficulty was. sorting out the serious cases.'•Directly they were recognised they got every attention. The conduct of the medical officers and nurses was simply splendid. I cannot speak too highly of the way .they behaved." To Dr. Martin: .The first case of cerebro-spinal. meningitis occurred on July 12. '■-. ■■■■'■ It has been suggested that there has been no case ofVthis disease ?

That is'wrong.. ■ -There 1 isno doubt at all ? No doubt whatever. How-many, cases have there been ? About "24 or 25, with five or six deaths, including suspects. Would you allow any man who had had cerebro-spitial menngitis to go to ths front ?

Certainly not. From what I .can gather ho would not be in a condition to go to tho -front or undertake any hard work. We are isolating "cai-j-. riers'' at .Chrisbchurch, Dunedin, Danpevirke, 'and Trentham. Surgeon-Major R. Stout stated that he actGd as principal medical officer at thc'ca'mp from. June 12 ; to June 28. He paid there was-no;truth in the assertion that, thnre we're ;days without a medical officer beino;. in attendance for sick

parade. . :. Tho Commission adjourned till tomorrow. ' • ' . :