THE MOST UNFORTUNATE

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 216, 12 September 1925, Page 14

THE MOST UNFORTUNATE

MENTAL HOSPITAL REFORM. "WORKING PATIENTS AND PAY. CONTRAST WITH PRISONERS. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Repot icr.) WELLINGTON, Friday. Why were net inmates of mental hospitals paid for Hie work they did in these institution's, inquired Mr. Sidey (Dunedin South), when the estimates for the Mental Hospitals Department were before the House of Representatives this I afternoon. "Why, even prisoners in our J gaols arc paid for their work,"' said -Mr. Sidey. How much more deserving were the unfortunates mentally ■ incapacitated. "Work is one of the greatest blessings; they could have, it gets them away from themselves," said Mr. Witty. The member j for Ricearton pressed for better super- j animation provisions for mental hospital | attendants, who '"were born, not made - ' i for this unpleasant job, and he repeated ' the assertion, frequently made outside, j that tbe-se attendants are frequently obsessed hy rheir jobs to such an extent that some of them end up as patients themselves. Over-crowding uf the asylums was alleged by Mr. Krasor (Wellington Central), who declared that neither Parliament nor the public .would grudge i expenditure for proper accommodation j for these unfortunates. j "It only needs one visit to a mental j hospital to see that the best is not being j done for these pa.tients," declared Mr. I Smitih (Taranaki), and this, despite our 'boasted humanitarian legislation, which ' we claim other countries have copied. The Department is hampered by lack of funds, and the progress and possible recovery of patients is retarded by conditions of overcrowding. Mr. Smith also 3-sked why mental patients should not be paid for their -work. • The- Minister of Health (Sir Maui Foinare). after deploring the loss to the servicecaused by the death of Dr. Hay, referring to payment for work in Government institutions, said that prisoners were 'in full possession of their faculties. Mr. blasters (Stratford): Sometimes. Sir Maui Ponmre: Well, generally— though sometimes they may have ''brain storms"—like members of Parliament. (Laughter.) However, comparisons ■between prisoners and mental patients arc not '"air. Prisoners are paid, but they ate in prison for a limited time—it is! hard to say how long piti*>n'.s will! Remain .in mental hospitals. Then, in mental hospitals-work is part of the I cure—it is prescribed for. the patients, ■vyho are not made to work whether they like it or not. And on an average it takes nine patients to do the work of one ordinary mail. How, then, are we to assess tlie value of this work? Again, they often, do not do the work as it should be done. They arc not required to work .for the benefit of the institution, but for their own good. In this respect 1 think it would be beet to leave well alone.". . j The Minister admitted that in tiie I past the mental hospitals had not l>een what they should have been, but for this 1 lie did not blame individuals, but eircuin&tances. Reforms were now in hand which should have been accomplished twenty years ago, and he would'assure ! Parliament that the Department was' pushing forward a programme which will, in a few months, place our institutions on a level with any in the world. "I t-Jijnk we ought to "lead the world, in these reforms," said the Minister. ■ Continuing, Sir Maui made the! me.aneholy announcement that only two 1 per cent of patients were regarded as' i Wful cases for recovery, but frheH Government was going to give them the best treatment it was possible to o'jtain. 11 Regarding owrerowdinir, the institutions J were being divided into smaller ward* i<. and there was Letter clawiin.-RtVn oM pa lent«. Sauatoriunie were being pro- ] Tided for Incident cn^ s . w 1.i,.-h „ iv.d i do away with the need for "holf-wav" , ! w!,«w S "nJ V k ' ntS tr " atC(l in th9 * e Places c he h,i ,aVC °- n t,lOni U,G * i[ » m » that i "»r,e $ t ,eC " m a ," ha,f - w ay» house, f ''ratification was expresneti hv +i,« ' c fir doubtfu[ r, Vkle - a 6 °P arate h °™ lor doubtful mental patients, and to pro- , M here there was no hospital, to tem-X porarlb .accommodate mental cases awa-fting observation or transport. It' i\ S \ i tba . t these pe °P le shO «W and be locked up m a cell overnight He congratulated the Minister on W •>-„,«?« dlsS2j. " ,nethOCl ° f commitl "ent and . Replying to a Labour fcugsrstion that! there should be a Royal* Con mis 01 ,! appointed to go into tha many Sou" nation ot the mental hospitals and the treatment of patients, the Minister «aM ■ patients were safeguarded by official ' i visitors, doctors and humane stans oil nurses and workers. In no people was < Bei's.of these staffs. If there was any 1 just cause for complaint it would be sifted to tins bottom. , i 1 SuJHvan: What method of inquiry' 1 1- he Minister-- I would in vesicate myself, for I-find personal investigation 3 niost S aLs:aatory. However, I cannot J ffo trotting up and down the country 1 lißtemng/to every complaint from a men- < ta hospital. But if genuine, any case will be sjfted f 0 the bottom, even if the * official responsible has to be sacked It ITI }™y* G .\\° * et these People "well ' And get ,-,d oi them-we do noc want to c keep. them. I,