ST. HELEN'S HOSPITALS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 269, 6 August 1908, Page 9

ST. HELEN'S HOSPITALS.

ARE THEY FOR THE INDIGENT? DISCUSSION IN PARLIAMENT. The St. Holon's Maternity Hospitals, especially that ono which is located in Auckland, were tho subject of an interesting discussion in the Houso yesterday. Tho subject was introduced by a question which Sir. Lauronson had asked tho Minister for Public Health, namely, "Whether his attention has been drawn to tho' terms on which cases a,re admitted into St. Holon's Maternity Homes in Auckland, and as to' whether ho knows two cases havo recently been refused under distressing circumstances?" Tho Minister for Public Health (Hon. G. Fowlds) gavo tho following printed reply:— Tho terms of admission to tho St. Holon's Maternity Hospitals are ; shortly, that tho applicants shall bo married women who aro not in a position to pay tho chargo incidental, to tho efficient management of confine.uient in their own homes, or who have not "sufficient accommodation in their own homos for the safe conduct of the lying-in period, or who aro lesident in outlying country districts where medical attendance is not ai ailable, and who aro not ablo to oioet the charges for lodging, nursing, and modical attendance in town. A patient, if suita.blo, can oiigago a bed on application to the matron, and, when engaging a bed, is expected to pay a deposit of "£l, which may bo paid in ■ any instalment convenient to tho appli"cant.. If tlio patient is in tho hospital before labour tho chargo is £1 per.week for such time, and after confinement £1 10s. per week. Tho patients* aro asked to bring the necessary £2 with'them, but are not obliged .or oven urged to do so. If from no fault of her own the patient does not arrive for confinement in St.-'Holen's Hospital, the £1 deposit is refunded to her. In regard to the two cases alleged to havo boon refused'admission ato the ( St. Helen's Hospital under distressing circumstances, on investigation it n,ppears that tlio first caso cited had made no application either to St. Helen's or to the Door of Hope, and no trace of such a person could bo found at tlio address given. No woman arriving |in labour, whether she has previously madd application or. not, is refused admission. In the second case, tho applicant had paid the .deposit, and did not toll the t matron that there would be any difficulty in .making up the remainder of the feo and in bringing it with her—in fact, sho had already put aside £1. Tho matron had had no communication with her sinco- her application.

Mr. /Masscy said ho was prepared to givo tho Minister t|io names of women who had been refused admission to tho St. .Helen's Hospital in Auckland under, distressing cirHe believed the administration of the institution was a disgrace to' tho Health Department. The people for whom it. was' established wcro not receiving tho benefits intended for, them. Ho asked tho Minister to have a public inquiry. - . Mr. For,-Ids stated tho agitation about the Hospital was purely and wholly-political, ile knew how i(; could be stopped, but wis not .prepared to' tako that course. There was one lady at the'bottom of it all. The I-los-pitals-wero never meant to relievo the Charitr ablo Aid Boards of any of their duties. Boards haviiig cases for the St. Helen's Hospital had to apply for their admission. Tho Hospitals were not benevolent institutions. They were established largely: for tho purpose of training midwives so that they could go out anywhero and tako cases' without a doctor. The foes for patients were only 30s. a week. Thoro was ho caso in which any •woman who could not afford to pay jiad |bceii .refused admission if there was room enough. Tho claim of indigent cases was ..on. ..the Charitable Aid , Board, not. tho .St.' 1 Helcri's Hospital.' , If women who could afford to pay ■ for outsido ..treatment were.' boiiig. admitted to tho Homes, that could only.bothrough misrepresentations, on their,part, as the. rule was- that no woman could bo admitted whoso husband was earning moro than £3,a week. The. Minister then read correspondence, which, ho stated, was signed by iMrs. Emily Nicol, and written on tho notepaper of .tho Political Labour League, and lyhich gavo particulars of tho two eases referred to. Ho also read his telegram to tho .matron asking her to make inquiries, and her replies. She stated in one case that no such person as was concerned could bo'recollected or traced.... In the other case, the woman had stated that the matter had bean misrepresenr tod, and she-was going into the St. Helen's \Hospital. ... . ■ ' i Mr. Herries said that lie would like the ■Minister to substantiate tho statement that, the agifcati'on was a political ono. _ The statements were made both by Mrs. Nicol- and tho Political Labour League. Ho had received a letter from • the- League, and this gave tho same account as that given .by/Mrs. Nicol. According' to what the Minister said, Mrs. Nicol must bo a great power in tho land. Why should thoro -bo a political agitation about.a matter-like this? Ho did not think tho Minister really thought that it was so.

Mr. I know it is./' Mr. Herries said that tho Minister should not east such aspersions without proof. , He (Mr. Herries) did not boliovo it himself. Tho Minister extraordinary statement that the not intended for indigent women";. Tallenged him to provo .his statemont.u.no Ministor was not administering tho Hospitals as tho late Premier, intended. As to application being'made to Hospital' Boards,' tnoso bodies met only once a fortnight, and how woro tho cases to be' satisfactorily dealt with? Mr. Fowlds: Would you. give free •'treatment to all who ask for it? '

: Mr. Herries; I would not object, to that. I bclievo that is tho object for which tne Hospitals wero established.- • , '- _ • Mr. Barclay, said that lie had received a communication from tho Political Labour League, and ho thought that an inquiry should bo held. Mr. Poole said ho was quite satisfied that if an inquiry wore held it would ,show that there had been a conspiracy to prejudice the Ministor in the eyes of the public. . The Hon. W. Hall-Jones said he considered Mr. Fowlds had made- a satisfactory explanation,. and that tliero was 110 need for an inquiry. ~ . ' , . . Tho discussion then closed.