HONORARY SPECIALISTS AND HOSPITAL PATIENTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 138, 5 March 1908, Page 4

HONORARY SPECIALISTS AND HOSPITAL PATIENTS.

• Sir,—l wish to express my gratification at tho suggestion made by 'I'm; Dominion of February .21 with referenco to medical specialists- at'tho Wellington Hospital — that'two such specialists, one for the eyes, alone, and one .for'the,nose, ear, and throat, should bo appointed .instead. of one, as has boon the practice.■ The .lumping'together of tho eyo speciality with the diseases of tho noso, ear, and'throat against the practice followed by tho old countries is not to the best interest of tho community. It is a relic of. tho past which undue influences are still striving to keep up. Tho city of Auckland has already taken a lead, and Wellington should, not lag behind tho Queen's City in matters of progress. ■ . As the appointment 'of 'an extra doctor to deal wit-h ■ tho , eye alone does not, as. you point out, oritairfurther expense, it is to bo expected that-t-he Trustees will no longer resist tho Suggestion so clearly expressed by, you... Oil tho contrary, tho Trustees should be proud to place the hospital iri accord with tho progress'of tho .times. ' . Those too, should be made with duo regard to scienco, ability, and experience, without prejudices of any kind ; as it must bo a free competition in tlio' interest of the community. It is unfair, in tho case of special 1 work, say, for instance, in the eye, that the .unfortunate sufferers 'should not'bo allowed to choose tho doctor they have most confidence, in, tlio sight being to most people more than life itself.' Four honorary physicians and ' four'honorary surgeons will 1)0 appointed by tlio Trustees to carry out their duties at tlio hospital, 0110 physician and one surgeon each week in rotation, for the period of two years;"and four specialists should also lio appointed to discharge duty, two each week in rotation, 0110 for tho eye,' and 0110 for tlio nose, ear, and throat, as is dono with tlio physicians and surgeons. .Tho appointment of four specialists would start a healthy competition among tho specialists themselves, and also givo tho sufferers a fair chance to choose the services of tho doctor they liavo most conlidenco in for any delicate operation 011 tho eye, ear, nose, or throat. Seeing that tlio services of the extra specialists' would cost tho Trustees nothing, there is 110 reason why tho -hospital. patients should not liavo tho benefit of their services.—l am, etc., ,- FAIR PLAY. March 2, 1908. '