TWO HOSPITAL' BOARDS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 416, 27 January 1909, Page 4

TWO HOSPITAL' BOARDS.

ANOTHER CONFERENCE'ARBANCED,

NO f STRAINED RELATIONS.

.A • letter- was read at tile meeting of tlie ■■Wellington- Hospital Trustees'.yesterday morning conveying a resolution ilib'- ; th& /Distrlbt ■ .Ho s^-r pitalr.fl6i£rd: 'corifere'hcß. ; 'skould;l>6f held"m' ; order- tliat'v-bficr/sbouifl;. .further;' consider the;proposals .-for: extensive v

"There la No Quarrel. h ' The. chairman of tho meeting, the Hon. Cs M. Luke, M.LC, said that, in caso iho anv: r miscohceptibit regarding'rthp W'i; matter,'ho was no quarrel bettveen tho jDistnct. Hospital . ; ;': Board and 'tho Hospil:^ n's'U.-es;A; gr6'at ' 'deal had been-said at,tlio last % ,mcDting of 'ho' ® J /Hospitalßoard'discHdrgiiig- their ;duties ; "institution.-:; Since : a/,'-Kthe'-question:;bf : site.:'had' been settled, steps . .. had been taken by. ;tho : trustees to mature plans, for erec.ting', a ffever .hbspital. This' had '• •been, referred- to ■ tho ,:hon. .imedical staff as well 'as to the ; staff associated with the hos- ; pital, and toi,tho public health officers.. - It j : was then referred to Dr.- Fmdlay; Dr."-Bwart; and the architect. Plßi)svwdro;placed.'beforo' w v r the 'trustees : a-few., weeks'; ago, and they. were ; approached A bv ''tlio District :HoSpital 'Board. K.K-for-if 'as';to';raising\OT i ;fnrids''for; I' r, iregarded . tEat.as : a:'jreasqriable'. ; . - and ; mot it frankly. The ' 'iiad vrj'-blasted'.: was' .. -available.' One member of the Hospital ( Board :.; had.;3incG made.i:hdi.statemcnt-.that'.the trus- : tees had -not taken, them ; into their con T ; Ho would. say - tliat the trustees : knew ripthing'.mbreiiabputvt-he- hospital-build-' K-;'.- ingvselieme 'ithau -had;, been > laid, -before t!.o conference.' Two of their own'.board, Slfcssrs.

M'Ewan and Kirk, • were members -of -the v:: ; ;fiDistrict, H6spitar.BoartlJ and/'.they,. ]iad lacced trusteesin regard' to:]i6spital rcqUircjnents. _ The, Hospital Trustees/ as a separate . institution, had been -in existence ' . for: 25

Svw'iyearsp and Jiad -neverVihad friction /with' the A District. iWSrdV'-.Tttwas'only:' .withiiT.the; Jast • three or-four'years. that.there had bepi]C any KrS^diMuSsioA^regSrdiilg/the^riglits^'bfitlie^tnftV;tees. ' The latter had tried to fall in with. desires i . * in such, matters .'as .receiving patients from tl-o vOtaki. Sanatorium into the.Seddon shelters ■•' andKHe.'Believed; that . ite - i' best relations still existed between, tho two .'' A i'heeii -made' by ¥ 5 ti (tho Hospital Board); represented the ratempayers. Ho wisho:l to know whom, the .trusV. tees' represented. Tho Board of . Trustees if,¥coniprised;.-invsmbors: ; of-lbcar-bbdies/.4vbo. Werb; : • Benfc- , t6'''"raiso- tho; moneys' required for;;tho : ..-opkeepor tho.'hospital.'; 7 : '/\ "-'G An Amended Representation. - . •... If. representation was tb bo oil the. financial • basis, theii'-:represeritatives on the Board'-.0f, : .■ • \'.Trustees should .:be. ohe-hhlf. nominees of tho Goy'ernm'^;'(whic]ifound;- 1 one-half • of .'the! members 'Should i rotircsent'' Wellington; . City Corporation, wmohalso supplied a largo v-; 'proportion-.of .the -funds.But is. was■ imposf; /-.- ; siblo to have* 'hoard -constituted ..entirely 1 ■■: i) ■ on a Jiuancial ; basis.- Ono of? the local. body, ropiesentatives had been' very loud in bs statements,, on the Hospital Board and before he Obtained a: scat on thsit boards >Tho;

: • body : wh icli - lie re presented- had r contnbuted' £176. Os. '&d;s-;last# i<Bastbourrio \ ■Borough had cbntributed;.'£7S^Bs/4d.V.;hut/the' -p : : heen £804,-the previous year £2020, and in . ' ; 1906 £341. These \vero contributions by the.peonfe, and' tho Act had no ;doubt been ': created-to bo an incentivo to the -■ public to : contribute,, and to :■ give' thenv-the, right of /sending' representatives .to the Board of j;§j? ; >7Triistoes."':V;Mahy7bf;.'tho se7whd; .contributed •; . -,'tp tho ; hospital .'funds did"not take much . 111'K^ : Mr !^e ;;Sj;v : 4imemberi iwei!® ;:the . great body;ol contributors.. A good deal-had: ..... been.'said as to the cost 'of the proposed hos- '; ... pital, 'and that'was the' : kernel of the whole thing.,.lt'iv'as■ presupposed;.tji^t.the!trustees; iwere-Jnot/ as ,%livo'to; thb; works Aece'SMry 'i'n:: nutting Jt) jftsDjstriit ; -i Board, ;biit'jlie' '• w«ro most anxious to piit up a building which wotild ineet all requirements, and . he 1 ; .was K : S^ 5 -f^tyf.a ; -m(^beit:6f ; ';the;'pistH(rt;;B6ard->thSt"£iie Iftiilding'.c6st}'n'g T "£;sC)ojtierj i'--;W."S^dA'-• i^. s -1 'The Thres Schemcs.' t ' ' /St; 5 . Vftill ■HnfprmatiiSii" bedtf for diphtheria, and 8 beds ill an .' ;. lion ward; '.total/i G6. : /V-There v jvas also; an .ad-th©-cost:would-be , oqnal , ta '£2SB , per bcd. /Dr.VFindliy ; .itate3^!.that^ : ,ffiWr-'n°spitafe ;i inV-Great Britiiri;ran-as -high' -; - as' : £500, and £600 per .bed.-_,T.heir, piyn_pro : _ ; .... was, therefore, an economical proposi- :^^; ; '..; scheiiib to bring it withitiithe scope of- their ; i / financial, capabilities, and..the :mbdifibd,>c3iem<i- -. ..•' . (to;cost. jCISiSQO) ;:niade;prpyisifefor; '.-' '• cases,"-.9.'. diphtheria ..qises,- .-and 3' isoktion-; together >withjan>admiiiistrative:blockv! . : .. representing a-cost of £?22 per bed. • It.liad- .. ■..! .. heen thought'undesirable, when framing'this: of? ffivei! :';' ; £;i,::-; ; 'pas&iye%t^lia^^ Kf Kv: scheme, ,v still mpfe.fliodined;' liiacl referr^ a tp .- •. baffle cost of. £11,000..-The schfiiiio-required ■ £13,200,". make' provisioh..for 36 fever. and. thrcoiisqlatioh'Svards. ",i /'.but no" wpuld be set' -. //. '■.nieasles. or,.diphtherial.cases.:;. 1 Tho;proposal; .. .if carried: would cost £340 per bcdi'.vHe -v was not prepared to say. .whether or- not this ' ./• , cost per .bed .\ras -reasonable, .but'the-'Health . . .-. ' Department was tile properJ:D(3partniorit' : 'to' . •' JeteminQ'tho'charactcr of the'hiuldings. - . The Cost of Up*!ceep. v - '. . '.. ; .-. Som'o innuendo had been -used t-hq Jast ;;.t;tV>;,.; : '/.thb'.tfustee^Sver6/aiv.extf^ . . :' ; Dunedin the hospital wasmanaged i'n ".'.exac'tly.iho same way as the 'Wellington llos-sS-pitalj jvould. give; Sdnieicomparisons in, ■; c .°st. fit; ;other-irist'it\\fcioris. \ I^i::"Wei- . .'' patient, per .day. (pverage) .was, 3s/.11d.,: in' Auckland ,45., 10d.; .m Duli- ' cdin. 55.! od., and in, Christchurch os. 7Jd. /:/..•' There were - only two places in- tho Dominion "'frKii;', fl t -whlch'the-hospital vcqst - TliesCi Wero Kumara, 3s. ; 10id., , , and Havelock 3s7■ lid., but-.m-tho:' smaller [■- ■■communities they had .means ; : qf(/providing for :patients ;inoro,fcheaply tlmn in tho cen- • ... • tres.;. Continuing, ho 'said- that tliero- had'. ; { neve'r.been'.any..frictipi> between the trustees'

fe' l .;ariditheir/.:medical''of istaffs, .pr'-' v tfith' ; ari^: ; pther :; '6ection l ; of''thq;' institution. 'i. thing-had worked in ; of'-thfe .patients'and of thc-com'munity. The amoVlnt. c6ntributed: by/the Goyefnmerittlsat"year' ; h'ad • beeti;: J £13;500 ; :h^ paid by Jo'cal;;bpSies. .. ' tion of contribution was to- beV - the .. • sols • br.sts' or representation, the., prev';, S sent .system • mteht have to . he '. reviewed! = : ;V(j; : He.fconsidered.vthat; ; the■ fever'hospitil was :^\:;;^all^thatV■.could. : 'b'o.■ ''undertakeriAthi^/ye'a'yibut l , S;;'itvrwas' that",the-' children's\ Ward might":, be:'predted,';'through;, the:'effor:;sv of the-ladies of theVc'onimun|tyi v: '.^'' ; ;.6Wfc 1 '.- ward, was mbro nrcessary, in. : .Wellinglon, he , thought, than :'iri':'any;'other -'town'/of the Do- . minion. It might also be: possibl?, .through v-<y' : .the beneficence-of a family in tho conimu-:'r':-■Vjis'nityj"-ib" haye'';a.;'ward piiw^ 1 mcut of .-cancer-cases; On the whole, tho . -Wellington 'Hospital-had- not'-grown in pro- . portion .to. the: increase in: population. Fourteen or fifteen years ago wards had been put:up -providing for. tliirtv,hedS ; ono- ward : was opened- and the other occupied -by the nurses. - Since ..building/the nurSes'. -hom'e 'six years ag<J;';the -second ward ; was relieved,-and .: ;;made, : 'provi«on for--■ (rtipther'2^v,patients. • ■ This was tho only increase which: had' been y 'i?' r! made' ..to /the. 'accommodation rat the general . hospital, and Ithe.y'tiineJjWas coming when %:they would be compelled to make better provision, i k , 1 Roducing-the Starlilartl. :TV '-London expressed the opinion -. -• that a better system of representation could

liot "iße*-.introduced. "'lt was quite possiblo,, however, that,., in .framing the plans for. improvements; the ■'hospital could bo reduced to the standard of a .third ; or.fourth-rato board-, mghousev . Then thero be reduced expense, : and they would' havo the coriipensation of continued reproach by. the - people of Wellington for their neglect 9f the sick, j Mr. Nash remarked that neither Mr.--Kirk, ,hail,; : . raised- his. yo'ico,, in protest',;|whefi' .tllosb'.'.'groundless statements' bad'fvbegjv 'mqd6 'J)y - ,othor member's of the Distriot-'Board.-..., • ;.■■■■• - i : ;.n VAn iAttitudo of Conciliation." ; ■ Mi*? C; : -'' l Kirk l ':pbinted out that, as a member i<)f 'the ..District Hospital Boafd, ho endoavoured % j:p ' convey to 'the mombers .of ihat'rbbard-rnformatiori regarding the -guiding mbtfvcs .of..tho'Hospital Trustees. (Hear, hean>) -At. tinie when ho heard tho .felt ;it. necessary.! to' explain : what ■ was in 'the. minds, of - his colleagues ( on ; ,board. Tho . whole troublo .fras "that'"-the 1 • chairman of. the Hospital Board spoke more in a generar manner ;tlian, thp' circumstances . warranted. -.' But that.' 'pardThadijte. .their, local - bodies,:and' jnakei'a levy ;bf. probably, a very large amount . fif ,'mbriey iiprHthoyiipWHWorks,'. which - were to. .be.earned out. ; iii 'connection with• .'the - Wellingtdn . H6spital. ; V. 'l'hey. wished to put bc ; -. foro .tho contributing bodies information, the . f ieh' .Wft s :in the possession of - the. Hospital Trustees. Tho .trustees were .conversant :,with all of the retjuireffientsy'''and''noithfer'iMr.. Jl'Ewan nor himself-; '.fully appreciated difficulty which outside :inei^:';musti^expehencein •■ grasping a .verbal, 'statement -at a'^conference... The trustees did not. .expect the board. ..to / pass, a :l3igvr«6mmondatioi}. without, full eSplana-tion—(hear,,'hear)r-and: the trustees' had' iritend.c_d -tha,t :the : meeting which had boon -held should-brily be a'pr-Gliminary conference. De-tails---would;, be .-'worked out, and later on, ivlidri; plaiis;*-wefe'.'Wdre.- mature; a 1 statement might -be fioriiip'iled- ahil '.tho proposals 'placed before the .district , board in; black arid-white. ; Thon the members. Of ; the district board .would ' ?' ';befoi'e.. : they- : :inet. i-ho trustees, arid .would'be better able to ask oii 'any 'points which- were- npt .clear, to them.'. ..Oit bpth. sides :more had been made ef ..this .'.apparent' differencethan, -really Existed.,-,' The'; .weroi unaniinpus,' 'iri board' should' have full;'information', on theso. matters'— (hear; hear)~at!d favoured an attitude • of two': boards, rather that "would, load to', friction; : Ho felt sure thai the board of trustees would, bvolve; its, (schemes in' the choapest; way .consistent with.efficiency.and in a reisonablo 'way.;/. :■ 'V.v' -' v; : , I. Mr.;M/Ewarf JaiH;, .that 'a; goo'd deal' too much had been made of, what took place at the! last meeting..of t the Hospital.Board.:- He hadi'heii'rd .the. whole of the. discussion,,and. -it- ;did;'hW appear f:o':'h'im. that -the relations ; between-.' the .two boards- were: strained; there was -simply::the.,desire :ori the part;of the .dist'ri(^'bbard' i ?tO'haVe' ; the fullest iiifprmatiori "possible before'iany Btep's were 'taken-:in; Such moved'th'at another conforpnee: be .'arranged .for at an early date. /[ .Theimotioriiwas' unanimously;carried.;'

, For Isolated Casos. -; Theinto committee, and froffi Messrs. : Crichtpri and M'Kay,' setting forth the accommodation 1 provided jriithe 'complete scheme Scarlet fever block ij-'FourJ eightbed and four single -Two.' feightr&dwards siii|lo "'Awards, 18. Diph.theriai r block:; ;Twb; : . four-bed . wards andone . single -. ward,, 9. - Isolation . block singl^'^afds^.- 3. . - Total. number of patients-,''66; v.'Administrative block"; Eight three! ifbmalo.;; seirvaiits,two. female sbrvarits, *I3.;beds.;.v'". Nurses': Home: 1 . Eight nurses;, two beds; Total accommPdatibn jc89.";.; The Vestimate.'-oif i cost, worked out-'at,£2Bß;,per;.patieiit,; or £213 per head, -an-' eluding'-;.th¥: staff.^^; 'Each block had, been do'ariy.i.unriecessary ornament.'--;j 'It. .was;- -jiljSi: a.special; meeting-pf, the sjibuld. be held to-morrow afternoon, iri : order alpncsbtiuld be adopted; tb;.be', .laid' 'before'. the. conference,' probably iiext week. v'LV; vA' ■. ■;