Country hospitals held necessary

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32564, 25 March 1971, Page 15

Country hospitals held necessary

Concern about a suggestion that country hospitals were to be progressively closed was expressed by Mr T. C. Grigg at a meeting of the North Canterbury Hospital Board yesterday.

Mr Grigg said he assumed he was correct in saying that the Minister of Health (Mr McKay) had said at the hospitals boards’ conference in Hamilton earlier in the month that country hospitals were to be phased out. “This is causing concern in my district (Darfield) and I am sure in all other country districts,” said Mr Grigg. “If we lose hospitals in country areas we lose doctors before very long.” Mothers and children were the first responsibility of countiy hospitals, but without a hospital there was also a risk of life being lost through accident or sudden illness, said Mr Grigg. Country areas needed young active men and if maternity hospitals closed, country areas would lose young doctors. As the agricultural industry was still the backbone of the country it should be supported by a good medical service. Mr L. C. Gardiner said it was extremely difficult to get doctors for country areas and it was even harder to keep them there. The closing of hospitals would make it even more difficult.

Mr J. B. Hay agreed that doctors would be lost to country areas at a faster rate if hospitals closed and that the efficiency of districts would suffer as a result of small farmers and young people leaving. Budget officer The board accepted a suggestion by the Department of Health that the board should take part in a scheme in which a departmental officer would investigate and advise on improved methods relating to budget control and costing procedures. Other hospitals would also take part, the department said. The chairman of the finance committee (Mr H. O. Hills) said the appointment of the budget officer was not a reflection on the board’s staff, but it was hoped that he might be able to effect economies which would enable the board to carry on without reducing patient services.

The chairman (Dr L. C. L. Averill) said that a sub-com-mittee had been set up to formulate financial policy, as the matter of balancing the budget would have to be gone into very carefully.

To begin the new financial year on a proper footing a budget officer should be appointed as early as possible to achieve more detailed control and to ensure that each department worked within its allocation, said Dr Averill.

New post—There had been 12 applications for the new position of senior administration officer and nine for the position of planning officer, said Dr Averill. Mr J. R. Wright, executive officer with the Department of Health in Wellington, had been appointed administrative officer, and Mr L. D. Haywood, supervising house manager for the Southland Hospital Board, was appointed planning officer. Staffing problem.— The institutions committee’s chairman (Mr Hay) reported that the committee had again discussed the staffing of the accident and emergency department. It was accepted that regrettable delays in the department were caused by the shortage of staff but that little relief was likely under the present financial limitations.

Ambulance service.—The finance committee reported that it had agreed to receive a deputation from the St John Ambulance Association at the committee’s next meeting to discuss a request that four more ambulance drivers be appointed. Members* liability.— The secretary (Mr J. G. Laurensen) said he had been told that legislation concerning members’ liability was being drafted and would probably be introduced towards the end of the present Parliamentary session.

Nursing education.—As the board had received only two copies of a report by Dr Helen Carpenter on nursing education in New Zealand it would be better if more copies were obtained and each board member could study it before any comment was made, said Dr Averill. Leave granted.— Dr R. W. Carrell, cnemical pathologist at Christchurch Hospital, was granted leave to attend the International Conference of Paediatrics in Vienna in August.