WAIKATO SANATORIUM.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 28, 28 October 1907, Page 6

WAIKATO SANATORIUM.

AN UNPRESENTED REPORT.

. A discussion in respect to matters connected with tho Waikato Sanatorium for consumptives a"t Cambridgo took place in the House of Representatives oh Friday. Mr Massey, in raising the subject, retired to'the fact that when the estimates of the Health Department were under consideration somo weeks ago he had asked, the .Minister in charge of the Department (Hon.. 0. Fowlds) why the report of Dr. i'entreath (the late medical supertmtendont ■ot the, Sanatorium) for the .year 1905-6 had not been included ip, the Health ; Department s annual report in 1906. The Minister (said Mr, Massoy) had t-hen replied to tho effect that' when Dr. Peritreath mado tho report in question he was about to ' loayo the institution, and ho (tho Minister) had also stated that, owing to this fact; tho report was not what it would otherwise nave been. Dr. lentreath, in"self-defence,'had since forwarded him - (Mr. Massey) a copy or the. report/which he produced and read. . ' . ' , : . • Tne report'of Dr. Pcntreath; which is dated April3o, 1906, states:—"Tho number of new cases admitted since April 1, 1905, was 142, which, with the 53 cases already under treatment on that date,' brings the total number of cases treated during the past year to 195. While the proportion of hopeless cases sent in has considerably diminished, ;it is a melancholy fact that in" by far the greater number of cases the disease, although capable of considerable temporary alleviation , , is found to hi- incurable. The reason for this, in my opinion, is to'be found in the excessively humid and windy climato which, prevails here,'in/common with many other parts of the Dominion. Hence 1 believe that tho chief value of this institution will be found to be educational in tho prevention of the disease rather' than curativo for. tho individual snfferor. ; ; . , . ,

Mr. Massey read a copy of a testimonial presented to Dr. Pentreath by the inmates of th"o Prunket " colony," which forms part of tho sanatorium,' : and also a, copy'of a. letter ; sent't6 Dr. Pentreath by Dr. Valintine (then acting-Chief Health Officor) congratulating him "on haying' effected "savings "desired by the Department. He (Mr. Ma/isey) contended that the report should liayij-been included in the Public Health Report' in 1906. So far as ho could see, Dri Pentroath's report showed no trace of bias •' whatever. It appeared to be, a calm, ; dispassionate review of,the work of the year. It., was' clearly the duty of the • Government to lay before, tho representatives of tho people nil reports from institutions directly under the control of the Government. The • .present: Minister for Public Health, who took office only a little more than a year ago, could hardly bb blamed for what had occurred, buj, ho: considered that it was most improper for tho permanent head of any department to keop back a report which should.beisupplied in the usual way.

- : . v 'SHE;MINIgTER EXPLAINS.".".''. -. 'j- Tlioiaiihister for'iPiiblic Health (Hon. G. Fowlds)', in replying to Mr. Massey's remarks, commented on'the ethics of an' officer who, aftor'leaving the : public service, handed to-a member of .the Hdusea copy of a report' such as had been handed'to the Leader of tho Opposition.- .He ..also' questioned the wisdom of Air. Massey in .using the report'after; obtaining it in that way. ■■;. .'••■■..' -Mr.. Massey: Wo'should have had.it long ago.'' - Mr. Fowlds: That is another point, but tho fapt is thati the.report has. como before the House in an irregular fashion. ,: '. Mr. J. Allen: Well,' you should have given it in a regular- fashion; instead of 'keeping 'it secret. , ' ; ' -'• • ' '-.' ' , : ~ Mr; Fowlds said ; that personally he had 'had no responsibility in connection.with.the matter. . He contended: however, that ] the Minister in charge' of the institution at' tho timo was justified, in thoi interests'of the ins'titutiori; in hot publishing the report in full. Extracts from the report' of Dr. Pentreath •were published with tho Health '- Report last year.''' Ho ''nir.intained that it was not incumbent on the > Government to publish tie whole of 'the 'repbrts-.'in. connection with tho State • institution's. In 'this particular ] caso it wouldihave been wrong to have given tho rC Jtfr.'Massey T WliyT : ,: ' ; .'' ' '""" ' Mr. Fowlds: Becauso an attempt wasmade in the roport to injure the reputation of the institution'. Statements were : mado' in the report which-'were at variance with previous ■statements by tho same officer. The-report now in question had been made by tho omcer when ho was about 'to leave the institution with the knowledge that his services been■altbgether-satisfactory to the head of the department.:'; ".'' , ' '"' ,: ~ Mr.' Massey'said that he had only a slight acquaintance with Dr. Pontreath, but all that ho had heard'of Him went to show ! that ho was a very. oflicient officer. . ''\'.. r •Mr. Fowlds said ;/ that; tho contention that the-report of officers of such institutions should.bo printed in full was perfectly untenablo wlion ah officer was leaving an institution, under such circumstances, as those under which Dr. 'Pcntreath left. Ho was naturally. - irritable and inclined to say things to the'detriment of. tho institution. ■ Mr. Massoy: : ;He .-..lias ' only given; you statistics'. , / ~ .-.;.'. ... : '.' Mr." Fowlds: But they,'nre different from his.previous statistics.'. In'-his roport in. 19U4 Dr Pontroath had.spoken in glowing terms of the curativo , effect-of the institution, which he then said compared vory favourably with those.'of British and continental sanatoria. ' '.'■

HON. J. M'GOWAN'S STATEMENT. The Hon. J. M'Gowan said that he was temporarily in charge of the Department at tho time referred to, and he took the responsibility for tho non-publication of Dr. J. cntreath's report in its entirety. He spoke of friction that had occurred between. Dr. lcntreatliand tho nursing staff,and said he was not altogether satisfied,with the management of the institution at that time. On one occasion' when he visited the institution ho found no medical officer there, but ho met him returning after he (Mr. M'Gowan) bad Jett. He also' found that one of,tho "colonies had not been examined for a month, tio did not think it right that the reputation of the institution should be injured by the publication of such a report as that in question, which was not presented to Parliament till after Dr. Pontreath bad lett the Sanatorium. Mr. Massoy, as-showing'that Dr. Pontrcath was popular with tho inmates, referred to the fact that when be left the sanatorium he received a presentation and a testimonial. Certain members of the Cabinet scorned to look upon tho.Government as:a kind of Star Chamber. He contended that there was not a sentence, line, or word in tho report that should not have been treated in tho ordi-. nary way. Ho thought an inquiry should bo held- into the matter, and, on behalf of tho doctor concerned, ho askod for an inquiry. If the report, was not favourable to tho doctor, the latter was prepared to take tho consequences. ... . ■■ ~ ■• .