A NATIONAL DUTY.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 306, 26 December 1924, Page 7

A NATIONAL DUTY.

CARE OF THE SICK, HOW HOSPITALS ARE RUN IN AMERICA. Sir Lindo Ferguson, of Dunedin, Dr. J. S. Elliott (honorary surgeon of the Wellington Hospital), and Dr. Alex. R. Falconer (medical superintendent of the Dunedin Hospital), who have been attending the Medical Conference at Buffalo, returned by the s.s. Maunganui, which arrived at Wellington on Tuesday. Seen by a "Dominion" reporter, Dr. Elliott said that 4000 delegates, representing doctors, nurse 3, trustees, business managers, and social workers, attended the great Hospital Conference at Buffalo, and every detail in hospital work was discussed from the point of view of giving the best service. "The earnestness of these hospital workers was amazing," said Dr. Elliott, "and amounted almost to religious fervour. Combined with a deep philanthropic spirit is an acute business sense in hospital management in America. Everyone must pay according to their means, and a very full investigation is made into the financial affairs of every hospital patient. Tbe poor are not harassed, however, in any way, nor do they pay a cent: but all others must pay as much as they are able. The poorest service is given in the municipal hospitals, supported for the poor by the rates; but it is curious to find in a great democracy how little the tendency is to run*to the Government cap in hand. There is no philanthropic work in America that makes a greater appeal to public sympathy than the

care of the sick. 1 King's Ransoms to Hospitals. "Rich men give King's ransoms to J hospitals," proceeded Dr. Elliott, "and ( cities vie with one another to have the , best hospital service. It any hospital [ does not reach the minimum standard , set by tbe American College of Sur- . geons tbe slur on the town where the , hospital is situated is quickly removed by funds at once forthcoming, apparently , with ea9e. The public is well educated in ' health matters, and a layman or laywoman of average intelligence can discuss , matters in connection with health, more or less technical, in a way that is impossible at present among British people, who leave too much of the custody of the public and private health of our people to doctors and nur3es. The churches support wholly some of the best hospitals in the United States as a part of practical Christianity. People keep up the standard of the medical profession by insisting upon only the best service. Community Hospitals. "The hospitals in the main," pro- , ceeded Dr. Elliott, "are community ! hospitals, and the rich man, or more > especially the man of very moderate [ means, has the right to enter the hosi pitals, and to pay for the service he is ; given, which is no better and no worse ; than the service given to the poor, , except that those who can pay for : more privacy are entitled to this pri- , vilege. The big barrack-room wards . are obsolescent. Hospital authorities in America say that if a sensitive j f patient spends two nights among the , 5 sights and sounds of a barrack-room ; ward he has destroyed within him or 3 blunted much that is refined in his T nature, and although healed in bis body ' he has been directly wounded unneces- ! ' sarily in his mind. I "Many of the American hospitals," ] explained Dr. Elliott, "are on the hotel ] system, which, strange to say, does | not require a larger staff than under ! , the old large-ward system. In America I the staffing of the teaching hospitals is j properly under the control of the univer- ] _sity, and not of the hospital board.'' ] r — == —^j—■_———__, j