DELEGATION SHOCKED.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9654, 10 July 1919, Page 5

DELEGATION SHOCKED.

AUCKLAND-, July 9. The Rev. J. Burgin and Mr J. Curtaine, at the request -of the Returned Soldiers' Association, investigated the complaints about the treatment, of patients at the Featherstun ".Military Hospital. Mr Bnrgin last night reported to a meeting of the Auckland branch. He said they found that the. complaints nuvde were entirely justified. The delegation was shocked- at many things it discovered, not believing it possible that such conditions could exist at a hospital where such victims of the war were treated. They spent June 29 and 30 in the camp' 'hospital, where there were about a hundred tubercular cases and forty patients with heart trouble. There was a general shortage of crockery, and all the sick man were using badly broken and chipped enamel ware. Sheets and tea towels were badly stained, and there was not a. proper provision -of clothing. Old wooden hutments were used as wards and were comfortless. There was a shortage of 'firewood. The root of the trouble was lack of coordination between the Ordnance' «.n<l Medical Departments, and the hospital orderlies were not tlie right typo of men. After their visit they saw General' Richardson, who gave an assurance- that every defect would be rectificU immediately".