PARLIAMENT Miss Howard Raises Issue Of Plastic Unit At Burwood

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27734, 11 August 1955, Page 14

PARLIAMENT Miss Howard Raises Issue Of Plastic Unit At Burwood

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter)

WELLINGTON, August 10. The hope that "somehow and somewhere, someone will clean up the mess” over the appointment of a plastic surgeon at the Burwood Public Hospital was expressed by Miss M. B. Howard (Opposition. Sydenham) in her Budget speech in the House of Representatives this evening. She alleged that personalities and jealousies and bitterness among a group on the North Canterbury Hospital Board were endangering the plastic unit s work. Mi*a Howard was criticised by Mr T. L. Hayman (Government, Oamaru) for “doing dirty washing in Parliament. He said it was a negation of democratic principles that an attack should be made under the privilege of the House to air a domestic matter.”

Referring to "a local problem in Christchurch," Miss Howard spoke at length of the history of the calling of applications for appointment to the position of senior surgeon at Burwood, formerly held by Mr J. J. Brownlee, a surgeon of high standing, she said. “Things are in a mess in Christchurch,” she said. Mr Roy, who was appointed, was in England, the other surgeon was finishing, and people were being sent out of the plastic unit because of the personalities and jealousies and bitterness of the members of the hospital board. The board did not operate in the interests of the sick people of Christchurch. They made the needs of the people for assistance secondary to their personal interest. "They don’t like Mr Brownlee,” she said. "He is not of my political colour, but he speaks his opinions in his own way, just as I do. and he is entitled to. Some members of his own party on the hospital board don’t like him, and with the advisory committee they ganged up against him.” Now the services of Mr Brownlee for people from Christchurch to Invercargill had been lost because of the personalities of the board, said Miss Howard. That was wrong. It was time that the Government, whatever government it was, had somebody sitting in at the board’s meetings. The meetings were in open, but the public did not attend, although she wished they did. It was time that the people who paid the piper should see what went on in hospital boards. The Prime Minister (Mr Holland): At every meeting of every hospital board? Miss Howard: Well, the major boards. Yes. I have just had another beautiful story of another hospital board, but I am not going to complain of what is happening in another man’s electorate. If boards operate as we are doing it is time the medical officer of health of the district or somebody should be there watching. Mr Holland: Would that not be a serious reflection on the people’s representatives? "It may be a serious reflection, but it is a serious reflection on the elected

members when they say their personal feelings come before those of the sick people of the district,” replied Miss Howard. “I make that reflection here tonight.” Mr R. G. Gerard (Government Ashburton): Other people are not having the right to reply to you. Miss Howard: They can have the right in the papers, and I will be very pleased. They did not reply to it When I brought it up in the hospital board. They tried to gag me. They said it was not right and proper and lawful that what happened in committee could be repeated out of committee. They tried to gag us from telling the truth to the people of Christchurch. I hope to goodness they will come back at me. Perhaps I am trailing the tail of my coat. They have allowed the establishment of the plastic unit to fall. They have k appointed a man who will be overseas for the next six months. She had nothing against Mr Roy, said Miss Howard. He was an excellent plastic surgeon, and he did not come into this argument in any way or the other. There was a man capable, willing, and efficient, to do the job, but “they ganged up against him” and were importing a surgeon for serious cases from Wellington., The Minister, she added, did not enter into the argument. But why should Christchurch have to have an importation? A man’s professional status was damned because “a certain little gang tried to wreck him.” As a member of the board, she would welcome a Government representative at the board meetings. Miss Howard said. The Government was paying most of the money, and should keep a close eye on the spending.