DR. EWART' S OPINION.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 35, 10 August 1905, Page 2

DR. EWART' S OPINION.

Dr. Ewart, Superintendent of the Wellington Hospital, naturally, was interviewed. As piedical officer of the District Hospital, he had exceptional opportunities of coming in contact with thesick and the afflicted of the city. Questioned concerning the children's ward of the General Hospital at Newtown, he said that ward, which could not accommodate more than 25 patients, was always fully occupied. As a rule, children "under two years of age were not admitted unless they were urgent casps for surgical operation. Some of the young patients stayed as lon^ as a year, not a few were there from three months to a year. The children not only came from all parts of Wellington and its province, but from all parts of the colony. Quoting from the Hospital's statistics for the past year, Dr. Ewart said that 74 girls and 117 boys under the age of five years, 75 girls and 76 boys between the age of five imd ten years, and 76 girls and 57 boys between the age of ten and fifteen years were treated during the year. ' The number of patients between the age of, fifteen and twenty-five years received during the year was 542. In all, tho institution admitted 2157 patients of all ages, and 2750 out-patients, n6b a few of whom were children, received attention. Undoubtedly, said Dr. Ewarfc, the establishing of a special hospital for children at Kelburne or the Hutfc would relieve the General Hospital. But, aftei all, it was a question of cost. If would be more economical as well as better ti> have the children treated at an institution adjoining the General Hospital, so that the medical and nursing staff of the latter could be utilised. Separate staffs were expensive, and it appeared to him that already a very large expense was incurred in Wellington in relieving the sick and tho afflicted. Besides, there was no value in small hospitals, as they did not offer inducements as training grounds. Our country hospitals had to pay higher salaries for nurses than were paid in the metropolitan institutions, because the latter gave a larger experience and better training for nurses. He did not see that there was a real need for a special hospital for children in Wellington just yet. The city had not grown sufficiently large. And if a sepgrate institution was set np at Kelbume or at the Hutt, it would be found that the more important and serious cases would have to be sent to the General Hospital for treatment, leaving only the.minor cases for the children's hospital. It was not to be expected that the latter institution could get the oxpen&iye equipment for tho treatment of surgical cases that was so necessary for many of the causes of trouble amongst the children of the city. Taking it altogether, concluded Dr. Ewart, I think it is too expensive an undertaldng for Wellington to enter upon just no We SOME OTHER CRITICISMS. Dr. Newman said lie did not think the multiplying of hospitals -was a good policy. It meant great expense 1 , and cottage hospitals — to which a hospital at the Hutt must be compared — could not give the full treatment required, because tho management could nob get the necessary equipment for -up-to-date work. For instance, tho X-ray apparatus was now largely used in the treatment of children. Tha needs of Wellington so far were not such as .to demand a ee-pa-rate medical and surgical . institution for children. The Children's Ward at the Wellington District/ Hospital had 'b&sn greatly improved, and was now distinctly ahead of th* old, quarters. Another uViedical .man hsld similar ■ viewa, and emphasised the danger and expenso of the multiplicity of hospitals in a city of only 60,000 inhabitants. Nureo Holgate, who had had much experience in tho city as a district nurae amongst the poor, was also interviewed. Shß replied that she had always found the district hospital make room for urgent ca6es on wno3<s behalf aha made application for admission. She could not say, from her owh experience, that a special chifdran's hospital was (required; but, of course, eho added, the experience of .others might havo led 'them tp sos tho need for such an institution. An official whose duties ware connected with hospital and charitable-aid work was of opinion, that dt would bo much belfce- for the city if all foyer patients Tver* banished from the region of tho district hospital, and the increased spaca devoted to 'tho accommodation Of children. All fevdr patients should bo sent to tho hospital at Berhampore. It wfts jiot right that the gernis of fever should be allowed so near surgical and other casea — fever -wards should not even too allowed upon the same ground as a general hospital. This critic agreed with Dr. Newman's obssrvation that a grsafc improvement had been effected in putting tho children in the separate wara on 4ho hill to bha east of tho general hospital 5 and it would he more sensible to enlarge- that ward than to go to tho great expenao of establishing a separate •hospital at the Hutt. The Mayor of the Lower Hutt (Mr. T. W. M'Donald) said the proposal was that Mie children'? hospital should be incorporated in tho scheme which had bson promoted for the erection of hospital buildings for the Hutt And Pefcone district. iHe understood thero was not nearly enough adcommodation at t'ho Wellington Hospital for the treatment of the children of the city and district who needed .medioal aid. Ho oould not aay that there was immediate- need for a children's ot a general hospital at 'tho Hutt, but thero waa urgent need to secure a suitable site or sites. The Hospital Trustees should move at onoe in ih« direction of securing land jor hospital purposes at tho Hutt, because the value of 'the land thero was rapidly increasing. Several sites wore now under offer at a reasonable price, and if the Trustees secured A 6ite while land was cheap they would save a Inrge expenditure in tno future, -and there would bo no ratfs to pny on th© fiite when it was secured by tho Truskce.