FEVER CASES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 155, 25 March 1908, Page 7

FEVER CASES.

DISCUSSION BY THE HOSPITAL' • - -TRUSTEES. ' THE QUESTION OP ACCOMMODATION'. "'A lively and, at times, heated discussion arose at yesterday's meeting of tho Hospital Thistoes, out of an observation by.Mr. IV G. Bolton that, there was a: tendency on the part of, tho medical 'staff to " firo fbfer patients. out as soon as they,woro,able to;w;alk." This Was,-apropos of a caso. relating -.to - tlie 'dis-, chargo' froiU'tho, Hospital of 'the child of a Mrs, Chapman, of the Lower Hutt. This eliild had been found to bo suffering from the foyer 'a .TY,eek ' after/' was statecl, bad communicated the' disease .to .others. ■ Mr. Bolton, .referring to; the matterj said that the child had been pronounced Cured by Dr.' Gilray, of the , Hospital staff. , He (the Speaker) did not wish to cast .any fcflection liponv the staff,. hut he blamed: the system. Dr. Purdy.'of tlicHutfc,. had, stated that tho child'should not We-been discharged. , Mr.'l'earce hid 'Hot heai'dj. personally of any-such; case,' but supported tho previous speaker's contention that more care should bo exorcised. ' He thought that Dr. Ewart ought to be t6ld : about it. ; i ■ Mr; London broke a lance for the medjcal istaflr,y" : Frbni -a' long experience of hospital administfatioiVho tfas Very strongly of opinion i that .the. staff should not be interfered with'.' Dri Gilray had considered that tho child; in question .was quite cured. Ho (the speaker)', thought; \ that more beds were 'Wanted. • . v . • ; Mr. Bolton: But the eluld ttas not cured! Mf. Loudon replied that tho child -had probably suffered a relapse. , Mr. Kirk'was of opinion that the Trustees •would' be Veryill-advisbd .if. to ini-, tiate tho policy of interfering with the rnedi-. eal be had; lbafiit of this, parfcibftl&r case,' clearly an instance of :*vhat wan khoffn as a ■" reeufrenee," & feature pf fcV'er • ciiSeS which' occurred in five oUt of evofy hundred. Mr. Nash drew attention to the fact that, thero was 7 pleutV of room in tho fever hospital;.'afe' thatl&articular . time. Dr. .Ewart had said so.,'"Thero was, therefore, no need to liiirrv a patient out'. 1 1:..- ; • The Chairman (Hon. C. M. Luke) said that behind tho wholo discussion was; the question of 'accommodation. As! a Small stream of patients left the Hospital,' a , big: istroam banked- up behind, - waiting for : : adnussiom ; . Dr. Ewart had again and again asked for in r creased accOmmpdatioii, and,'- tho Speaker; was strongly, of opinion that .the^.Trustees' had a. very, so'rious ■ responsibility,.in th'e.- matter.. There';! was at'present undel'! couSidbration # th'o: question of a new site for .tho fever . hospital, part, of - the: laiul .behind tho Asylulii being under negotiation.. ■Ab soon as the Prefnicr and tho Hou.'- G; Fowlds-Wero 111,AVelluigtbil together, a Visit would be paid to. this site, and the questiollj ho; hoped, fedttletl ir. some definite slnipe "or form. Ho-sttonglj animadVei'tud oil the delay Of thb Government" over tile matter.-. ■ ....... ! ;Jtfr.. '• BdltdttL;d<ihsld<tf 6d < that" Mh London:. I haci 'bebn? dfa'wihg. a' rid..Hetfing across the scent.. At this'liaftibUlfir tiliib tlietb waß 110. question'. 6'f insufficient accommodation., Mr.London's statement was the prWCfbial horv .llilgi '" ■ i •■' " Mr 1 Leiideii: 'Not at all. . ; ,Mr, Bolton: I say it wasl _ ) • Mr. Loliddii; -YoU made a certain statement roiiecting oft the medical staff. t • Mr. Bulton protested. _ He had simply made V general 'statement; ".pointing out that there should not bo any Undtto haste about the ■discharge : of patients. Tlio Health Officer at the Hutt: had written a very strong letter= iabout," this-particular ease. ' 1 Mr. M'Ewiin eoiißidered\tliat Mr, Bolton's remarks were greeted against Dr. Gtlray. >V "• Mr, llolt'oii i' I 'olijfiot.'; • That'statetiioiit ia absolutely-at vai'laiteo.u'ith fact. . t Mr. M%va», continuing, repeated his as-, sertloii,.; and ,went qii- to eritiels? tho delay' of the Gl.ovbrntndht bv'el-'thb question of the new fever hospital. . ' ' Mr.' I'oiareb; ventured to suggest • that Dr.Kwart. would have actetl differently from Dr. Gilray over this particular caso. .. This breught the,Chaibiaiv to his feet in omphatic'protest.. Dr; Ewart,' he said, had' specifically stated that life would, have done.! exactly-tlio samo tiling; / The Wellington Hospital had, during the last quarter of a centutyj bebn : conspicuously .'.free ■ from the" wrangling alld dissension whicji had charaetWised the management of similar institu-c Hons in other parts of the country.; This ho attributed solely 'to.the policy of the Trustees during tlio' past, Whereby tlie Control of,: all (matters';specially.. relating to professional; cases Was left- entirely to the medical stall. Ho thoroughly believed iu a. policy of noninterference. . : '■ ■ ' Mr. Bolton Said there Was no desire! to in-, terforc at all, and that a*great deal more had : been iniule of this'_ particular matter than: there was any occasion-for.' All that lie .had wanted was a suggestion to t-ha;medical, staff;• that care should be oxeroised with respect to,, cases 'similar iu natiiro to tliat .which had been discussed. He did not want any reso; lutiou on tho tfiattor. ': - Tho matter-thou dropped,--- : - :