OUR HOSPITAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 178, 31 July 1933, Page 9

OUR HOSPITAL.

PAYMENT OF FEES. HONORARY STAFF'S WORK. DR. CRAVEN'S ADDRESS. The Auckland Bublic Hospital, its history, its functions and proposals for changes in its administration, were the subject of an address delivered to Auckland Botarians to-day by Dr. J. W. Craven, the medical superintendent. The situation of the Auckland Hospital, said Dr. Craven, was oiio of the most beautiful in the British Empire, and the citizens were fortunate in the possession of a site which was so elevated that from its heights the glorious panorama of the Waitemata Harbour and Auckland suburbs could be seen. lie outlined the early stages in the foundation of the Auckland Hospital, going as far back as 1845, at which time some objection was taken to the site on the ground that it was inaccessible to (he city. Referring to administration Dr. Craven said that it was not till LSSS that legislation was passed that was practically the father of all subsequent hospital legislation. It had taken 40 years to reach that stage; and it was surely now fully time for another overhaul. Wards Built In Fourteen Days. Referring to the building of the hospital, Dr. Craven said that two wards wcru built 40 years ago in tin; record time of 14 days, to meet an outbreak of typhoid.

Still on the question of site. Dr. Craven said it was an interesting fact that municipally the hospital was on No Man's Land—it was not in the city or in Newmarket, and hospital residents thereon bad Parliamentary votes but not municipal votes.

The origin of the system whereby the medical profession, following its traditions, gave professional services free, Mas next deal with. It was, said the speaker, the medical professions' donation to the cause of charity, and they had given of their best all down through the pages of history ever since hospitals began. Did (ho same position hold good to-day? Were all the. patients in the Auckland Hospital to-day poor, destitute persons? Were all the accident, cases brought into hospital to-day people who could not afford private medical treatment? Were all the insurance companies, businesses, defence forces, etc., unable, to pay a fee to the medical man attending these cases in hospital? '•I admit," said Dr. Craven, "that arrangements arc frequently made for the fees for the maintenance of patients to be paid. The board gets those and quite rightly so. but 1 wonder is it necessary or is it fair that the honorary stair of the hospital to-day should be the honorary staff for those organisations well able to pay a reasonable fee."

Self-Sacrifice of Doctors. Speaking of the zest with which the honorary stalT carried out its duties, Dr. Craven stated that not once when ho had telephoned for a doctor to come to an urgent ease had he failed to come. He could tell of cases where doctors had come at the sacrifice of private practice to attend to hospital duties. It was just as reasonable, after all, that there should be honorary carpenters, plumbers, or electricians as honorary doctors to a hospital to-day. Few people realised the sacrifice of time and energy maue in 12 months by a member of the honorary stall". In these days of locally assisted and State aided hospitals some recognition was due to the honorary stair. On the subject of operations, the speaker corrected a prevalent impression that going to the hospital meant an operation. The surgeon, said Dr. Craven, was a master craftsman wholly wrapped up in hU work. There was little likelihood of wrong diagnosis,, for in the case of a wrong diagnosis the humiliation felt by the surgeon who had made. it. was profoundly acute. He jealously guarded his reputation for 100 per cent successes. Dealing with the growth of hospital work. Dr. Craven said that for the year ended December, 1031, there were over 10.000 in-eases. Every day r,r, persons were dealt with as outpatients.

The Future. Touching upon the future control of hospitals, Dr. Craven pointed, out that transport of patients was much more easily arranged than was the case a few years ago, and ho saw no reason, except sentiment and parochialism, for retaining a number of small local institutions .which could not possibly have the full equipment that was available in the larger hospitals. He saw no reason why one board could not administer the whole of the area of North Auckland and South Waikato, now administered by seven boards. At the same time, he thought that an adequate nursing service should bo established. Status of Nurses. At the present time about 400 nurses annually were being turned out from the public hospitals of New Zealand as fully trained registered nurses. The number must bo far in excess of requirements. Actually they were sufficiently trained to begin learning. Only by years of practice could they reach the peak of their usefulness. He would like to see the service so rearranged that there would be an incentive for the nurses to remain. That would mean the establishment of a public hospitals service, including all branches, even St. Helens, with adequate "refresher" courses for nurses and the chance for the real, keen, efficient nurse to gain promotion in her particular sphere.